PRIME MINISTER

Central Ayrshire: Visit

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Prime Minister when he next plans to visit Central Ayrshire.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to answer.
	My right hon. Friend has no current plans to do so.

Cabinet: Meetings

David Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what the  (a) dates,  (b) locations and  (c) cost to the public purse have been of each meeting of the Cabinet held outside London since 27 June 2007.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to my answers of: 29 October 2008,  Official Report, column 1017W; 29 January 2009,  Official Report, column 738W; 13 March 2009,  Official Report, column 802W; 18 June 2009,  Official Report, column 451W; 3 June 2009,  Official Report, column 487W; and 7 May 2009,  Official Report, column 378W.
	The Cabinet met in Cardiff on July 23 2009. This was linked with a number of ministerial visits across the region; there was a public engagement event with around 203 people which was followed by a formal Cabinet meeting The cost of the public engagement event and the Cabinet meeting was approximately £77,433.61, excluding VAT. There are no separate figures for the Cabinet meeting. The figure includes the cost of hiring the venue, catering, associated security and delegate management. In addition, Departments and agencies will have incurred costs in terms of travel, staff time and other support. The cost of any security provided by the police is a matter for the relevant police force.
	The visit of the Cabinet to Nottingham was on 20 November 2009. The final cost figures for this event are not yet available.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to respond to question 304527, on the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, tabled on 1 December 2009.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 December 2009,  Official Report, column 548W.

WALES

Departmental Billing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of invoices submitted to his Department have been paid within 10 days in each month since October 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Since October 2008, my Department has paid the following number of invoices each month.
	
		
			   Number of invoices paid  Percentage paid within 10 days 
			 October 2008 47 85 
			 November 2008 61 90 
			 December 2008 52 98 
			 January 2009 58 91 
			 February 2009 56 98 
			 March 2009 74 99 
			 April 2009 84 100 
			 May 2009 75 97 
			 June 2009 67 75 
			 July 2009 47 96 
			 August 2009 54 98 
			 September 2009 61 95 
			 October 2009 72 96 
			 November 2009 44 98

Departmental Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside his Department's building attended by civil servants in his Department there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office held one away day a year from 2006 until 2008 for the whole of the office. The cost of these venues was £8,055.40 in 2006, £13,526.04 in 2007 and £4,662 in 2008. In 2009, there were two events held for Legislation Branch and for Policy Branch. There was no cost for the venue for Legislation Branch and a charge of £596.75 for the venue for Policy Branch.

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by his Department since 1 May 2008.

Peter Hain: None.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much funding his Department has allocated for  (a) year end and  (b) in year bonuses for its staff in 2009-10.

Peter Hain: My Department does not allocate a budget specifically for bonuses.

Departmental Pay

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many  (a) year end and  (b) in-year bonuses were paid to officials in his Department in each of the last three years; and how much was paid in such bonuses in each such year.

Peter Hain: My Department paid the following in year bonuses:
	One in 2006-07, nine in 2007-08 and two in 2008-09.
	We paid the following year end bonuses:
	Zero in 2006-07, five in 2007-08 and one in 2008-09.
	The total amount paid in each year is as follows:
	£862.30 in 2006-07, £5,200 in 2007-08 and £2,050 in 2008-09.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what percentage of parliamentary questions tabled for written answer by his Department on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day.

Peter Hain: There were 22 named day parliamentary questions tabled for answer representing 88 per cent. which received a substantive answer.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Departmental Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the hon. Member for South West Devon, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside the Electoral Commission's buildings attended by civil servants in the Electoral Commission there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Gary Streeter: The Electoral Commission informs me that to provide the information in the format requested would incur disproportionate costs. However, its expenditure on conference attendance, annual staff conferences and team development and planning days for the years requested was as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Financial year  Expenditure on conference attendance  Annual staff conference  Expenditure on team development and planning days held off site 
			 2005-06 30,140 14,060 - 
			 2006-07 26,720 16,650 14,020 
			 2007-08 25,330 22,020 17,770 
			 2008-09 30,920 5,260 18,270 
		
	
	The expenditure on conference attendance typically covers the attendance of Commissioners and Commission staff at the following types of events:
	Political Party Conferences
	Local political party events
	Association of Electoral Administrators conferences
	Local Government Association conferences
	Continuous Professional Development (CPD) conferences.
	The Electoral Commission is independent of Government and its 171 staff members are not civil servants.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Environmental Protection Flood Risk Regulations 2009

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will delay the entering into force of the Environmental Protection Flood Risk Regulations 2009 due to enter into force on 10 December 2009 until  (a) all interested parties have been consulted and  (b) both Houses of Parliament have scrutinised the Statutory Instrument.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government consulted on provisions to implement the EU Floods Directive in the draft Flood and Water Management Bill (Cmnd 7582) published on 21 April. We received nearly 650 responses and these are summarised on DEFRA's website and are available from the DEFRA library. The EFRA Select Committee also scrutinised the draft Bill.
	Specific reference was made to the regulations in the written ministerial statement on 19 November when the Flood and Water Management Bill was introduced and the Government response (Cmnd 7741) to the EFRA Select Committee report and to the consultation was published. All interested parties, including Parliament, have had an opportunity to scrutinise our plans for transposing the directive.
	Laying the regulations on the day that the Flood and Water Management Bill was introduced provided an opportunity for each to be considered in the context of the other. The regulations have been considered by the House of Lords Select Committee on the Merits of Statutory Instruments and officials provided clarification to the committee.

Fishing Catches

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much in tonnes and what percentage of UK fish catch was sent abroad for processing and then returned to the UK in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  to which countries fish catch is sent for processing before being returned to the UK; and what weight of fish was sent to each country in the latest period for which figures are available.

Huw Irranca-Davies: Information on UK imports and exports of fish are published in UK Sea Fisheries Statistics, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Figures on the amount of fish exported for fish processing are not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Floods: Property Development

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his most recent assessment is of progress in the revision of Planning Policy Statement 25 since June 2009; and what estimate he has made of the number of houses to have a flood kit.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The Government agree with Sir Michael Pitt's Review of the summer 2007 floods that found that the policy approach in Planning Policy Statement 25: Development and Flood Risk (PPS25) is sound and should be rigorously applied.
	On 11 August 2009 the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) published proposals for public consultation to make a limited number of amendments to Annexe D of PPS25 to clarify how certain aspects of the policy should be applied. The public consultation period closed on 3 November and CLG is now considering the responses received.
	No estimate has been made of the number of properties that have prepared a flood kit. As outlined in our recent Pitt progress report, we have always acknowledged this was up to individuals, but would be supported by communication campaigns taken forward by the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency has done this in its recent "Preparing for a Flood" guide, which promotes how flood kits should be made up.

Metals: Waste Disposal

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2009 in respect of their provision for the metal recycling sector.

Dan Norris: The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2009 will come into force in April 2010. The regulations will allow operators to benefit from new or revised exemptions that are free to register for, from that date. The regulations also include transitional provisions for those existing operations that will be required to obtain an environmental permit. In the case of the metal recycling sector, operators who need a permit will be required to apply for one by 30 September 2013. This period has been provided to allow operators sufficient time to fulfil the requirements for obtaining a permit. It would, therefore, be inappropriate to suggest revisions at this time as these changes are being implemented.
	I would also refer the hon. Member to my written answer 14 December,  Official  Report, column 655W, on the subject of how we will subsequently review the 2009 Regulations.

Rights of Way

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many appeals regarding rights of way the National Casework team has under consideration; and for how long on average such appeals have been under consideration.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The National Rights of Way Casework Team has 99 Schedule 14 Appeal cases under consideration as at 15 December 2009, averaging 68.6 weeks handling period per case to date.

Seas and Oceans: Pollution

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effects on the marine and coastal environment of plastics that have been dumped at sea or on beaches.

Huw Irranca-Davies: DEFRA has been working with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) to incorporate the MCS long-term dataset for beach litter levels and sources of litter in the UK to assess UK marine litter levels as part of the evidence collection process for the Charting Progress 2 report.
	Charting Progress 2 is an integrated assessment of the state of the UK seas that will measure progress towards achieving the Government's marine vision and will be published in 2010. The report will form an important building block in the Initial Assessment of UK waters, required by 2012 under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
	DEFRA is working with international colleagues in OSPAR (the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic) to support assessments of marine litter, and the OSPAR Quality Status Report (QSR) due to be published in 2010, will contain a regional assessment of litter levels.

Seas and Oceans: Pollution

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to  (a) his Department,  (b) local authorities and  (c) non-governmental organisations of cleaning refuse from the coast in each year since 1997.

Huw Irranca-Davies: No estimate of the costs for cleaning refuse from coastal areas to DEFRA, local authorities or non-government organisations has been made.
	Through the Environmental Protection Act (1990) local authorities have a statutory duty to keep their beaches clean down to the high water mark and many have beach management plans in place.
	Beaches are regularly monitored through the National Indicator Set and many are signed up to such awards such as the international "Blue Flag" and England's "Quality Coast Award", both administered by Keep Britain Tidy.

Seas and Oceans: Pollution

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department holds on the  (a) area covered by and  (b) in weight tonnes of the mass of plastic debris identified in the Pacific Ocean; and what discussions he has had with international agencies on steps to reduce the effect on the marine environment of that debris.

Huw Irranca-Davies: The published literature on the Pacific litter gyre indicates that the area concerned is found within the North Pacific Subtropical High, an area of international waters, between Hawaii and California. Researchers have pointed out that the weight of litter is very difficult to estimate due to the patchiness of debris in this expansive area, but could be in the order of 6 million tonnes.
	My officials attend the meetings of several international agencies where the reduction of litter in the marine environment is discussed and where appropriate actions are considered, particularly the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic in which the UK is actively involved in the marine litter working group, which focuses on the North East Atlantic.

Whales: Conservation

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has made to the governments of other countries on whaling since the last meeting of the International Whaling Commission in June 2009; what plans he has to make further such representations before the next meeting of the Commission in June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Huw Irranca-Davies: I wrote to the Japanese Minister of Fisheries on 24 October expressing the UK's continued opposition to the killing of whales in the Southern Ocean and the North west Pacific and to the hunting of small cetaceans in Japanese coastal waters.
	On 2 October, the UK took part in a strong diplomatic protest (démarche) to Iceland expressing our extreme disappointment with the killing of almost 200 minke and fin whales this year and called upon the Icelandic Government to review Iceland's Whaling policy.
	Before the next annual meeting of the IWC Foreign and Commonwealth Office posts will again lobby countries in support of the UK's position, seeking to encourage new anti-whaling nations to join the IWC and endeavouring to change the opinion of Governments which currently support whaling.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any contracts between Capita Group plc and her Department and its predecessors have been cancelled before completion since 1997; and whether Capita Group plc has been liable for any penalties arising from failings in the administration of contracts since 1997.

Jim Knight: In December 2007, Capita Health Solutions was successful in a competition to deliver an Occupational Health Service for DWP to commence in April 2007. DWP and Capita mutually agreed to disengage from this arrangement with effect from August 2007. No penalties were arising.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions Capita Group plc tendered for contracts let by her Department in each of the last five years; how many such tenders were successful; how much her Department paid to Capita Group plc for the execution of contracts in each such year; how many contracts which terminate after 2010 Capita Group plc hold with her Department; and what the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between her Department and Capita Group plc.

Jim Knight: The following table provides a summary of the information requested.
	
		
			  Question  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 How many occasions Capita Group Plc tendered for contracts with DWP in each of the last five years 2 1 1 2 1 
			 How many such tenders were successful 2 - - 1 1 
			 How much DWP paid to Capita Group Plc for the execution of contracts in each such year (£ million) 47.79 53.10 54.80 26.71 39.13 
			 How many contracts which terminate after 2010 that Capita Group Plc hold with DWP 1 - - - - 
			 What the monetary value is of all outstanding contracts between DWP and Capita Group Plc The information requested is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. 
		
	
	Details of the contracts captured in the table are in the background notes.

Conditions of Employment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what recent steps her Department has taken to protect employment rights  (a) in Coventry and  (b) nationally;
	(2)  whether her Department holds information for benchmarking purposes on employment rights in other EU member states.

Jim Knight: holding answer 3 December 2009
	These issues are a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Crime

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many reported crimes there were of each type in  (a) her Department and  (b) each of its agencies in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 December 2009
	 Reports of crimes will normally be made to the local police forces. Consequently no central records are held, and to obtain the requested level of detail would involve disproportionate cost.

Departmental Data Protection

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many thefts of data from the Labour Market System database have been identified in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 30 November 2009
	The Department takes very seriously its responsibility to protect personal information. If individual employees are found to have misused their position (for example, by accessing without authority information that is recorded on any of the Department's databases), then such matters will be dealt with firmly, including dismissal and, where appropriate, prosecution.
	Incidents will normally be investigated and dealt with locally. However, details of such incidents, and the action taken, are not recorded centrally, and to obtain this information in respect of the last five years would involve disproportionate cost.

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors her Department's website received in 2008-09.

Jim Knight: In 2008-09 the Department for Work and Pension website received:
	68, 298,137 page views, and
	9,498,849 unique visitors.

Departmental Legal Costs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what expenditure her Department and its agencies have incurred on external legal advice and representation in each year since 1997; and for what purposes such professional services have been commissioned.

Jim Knight: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  DWP legal category spending by year 
			   Spend (£) 
			 2009-10(1) 12,434,882 
			 2008-09 18,854,926 
			 2007-08 18,864,410 
			 2006-07 14,851,405 
			 2005-06 18,564,671 
			 2004-05 15,444,475 
			 2003-04 17,263,198 
			 (1 )The 2009-10 spend is for the period 1 April to 31 October 2009. 
		
	
	DWP's costs for external legal advice and representation are captured under a range of existing commercial contracts that relate to the following areas. A more detailed breakdown of expenditure or the scope of previous contracts from 1997 onwards could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	 1. IS/IT
	acts as the strategic legal adviser and provides project support to DWP and its corporate information technology directorate. A range of legal services for existing and prospective information service/technology contracts are provided.
	 2. Human Resources
	provides advice, guidance and assistance for HR policy development, training and awareness products, risk assessment, private prosecution, banning and warning letters to customers, injunctions, international law and general legal matters as necessary. Where appropriate it conducts litigation proceedings for DWP in employment tribunal claims and personal injury compensation claims.
	 3. Estates
	provides advice to the commercial estates function in support of the PRIME estates contract and associated advice in relation to general property law.
	 4. Commercial Legal Services
	provides legal advice and commercial guidance on DWP services delivered on behalf of welfare to work customers and on general commercial policy issues.
	 5. In House Lawyers
	DWP's in house lawyers expenditure on external legal services comprises a range of payments, including those to meet other sides' costs, where these are required to be paid as a result of litigation; payments made to counsel from the Attorney-General's approved list for prosecutions, litigation or advisory services; and payments to local agent solicitors for prosecutions, some civil litigation and other occasional work.

Departmental Lost Property

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) laptop computers,  (b) desktop computers and  (c) memory sticks her Department and its agencies have recorded as having been (i) lost and (ii) stolen from its offices in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 December 2009
	 Details of items reported as lost and stolen are recorded at departmental level and the information requested cannot be provided in respect of Scotland without incurring disproportionate cost.

Departmental Pay

John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what  (a) bonuses and  (b) incentives have been paid to (i) consultants and (ii) contractors engaged by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which her Department is responsible in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: It is not DWP practice for the Department or its agencies and non-departmental public bodies to pay contractors bonuses or incentives. DWP follows National Audit Office advice which recommends that a variety of payment mechanisms should be used in contract pricing. This approach is also endorsed by the Office for Government Commerce in their Guide to Consultancy Pricing.

Departmental Recruitment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of jobs advertised by her Department in the last 12 months were online only applications; and what provision her Department makes for those wishing to apply for jobs in her Department who do not have access to the internet.

Jim Knight: None of the vacancies advertised in the last 12 months were limited to online applications. We encourage the majority of candidates to apply online however, where the candidate has a disability, or other reason for being unable to complete an online application, a paper application is accepted.

Departmental Telephone Services

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many telephone lines with the prefix  (a) 0870,  (b) 0845 and  (c) 0800 her Department (i) operates and (ii) sponsors; how many calls were received to each number in the last 12 months; and whether alternative numbers charged at the BT local rate are available in each case.

Jim Knight: The information is as follows:
	(i) As at 7 December 2009, the Department for Work and Pensions operates the following lines.
	
		
			   Lines 
			  (a) 0870 13 
			  (b) 0845 6,060 
			  (c) 0800 154 
		
	
	(ii) All lines are 'operated' by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); there are no 'sponsored' lines.
	With reference to the number of calls received by each 08XX number, the complexity of the Department's telephony network and our current billing arrangement with our service provider, BT, does not provide us with this data as the Department does not require it. To provide it, the Department would need to submit a formal request to BT to give us an estimate of the cost of supplying this data. This could not be done within the time scales of this question.
	Alternative numbers are not available. 0800/0845 numbers are integral to the Department's telephony strategy and underpin the delivery of good customer service. The 0800 and 0845 numbers are clearly signposted to customers for the services that they wish to access and the service is organised so that the customer is routed to the best agent to help with their call.
	The Department's telephony strategy is that calls to claim benefit should be free to customers so it uses 0800 free phone numbers for these calls. The great majority of the Department's customers use landlines to contact the Department's 0800 free phone lines where the calls are free. The Department uses 0845 telephone numbers where its customers call for other reasons, and these are calls typically that take less time to resolve. The charges that apply to these calls will be set by the customer's telephone or mobile operator.
	Where a customer calling our 0800 or 0845 services asks us, or raises concerns over the cost of the call, we offer to call them back.

Employment and Support Allowance

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people received support from an advocate when applying for employment and support allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: Information on claimants receiving support from an advocate is not available.

Employment and Support Allowance: Medical Examinations

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate she has made of the  (a) unit cost and  (b) cost to date of conducting the medical assessment process associated with employment and support allowance delivered under the Atos Healthcare contract; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The cost to date of conducting the medical assessment process associated with Employment and Support Allowance is £36.2 million covering the period up to 25 November 2009. This covers the costs of the medical assessments including Work Focused Health Related Assessments, gathering information from customers and health care professionals, investments in information technology and Estates infrastructure, overheads and set-up costs.
	DWP is unable to disclose the unit cost of individual medical assessments as to do so would jeopardise the Department's commercial interests and dealings with Atos Healthcare or other service providers when negotiating future re-tenders.

New Deal Schemes

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of jobseekers aged between 18 and 24 years old have gone off benefits without finding a job  (a) before and  (b) after completing a New Deal Gateway to Work course.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not available.

Scientists

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) scientific advisers and  (b) civil servants in scientific posts there are in her Department.

Jim Knight: There are no external scientific advisers in the Department for Work and Pensions, however, there are three civil servants within the Department employed in posts which require them to give scientific advice. The Department also employs a number of statisticians, economists, social researchers and operational researchers but these are not classified as scientific posts.

Scientists

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many occasions she has met  (a) the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and  (b) her Department's Chief Scientific Adviser in the course of her official duties in the last 12 months.

Jim Knight: The Department's chief scientific adviser is also the Department's chief medical adviser and health work and well-being policy director and in these different capacities has had numerous meetings with the Secretary of State during the last 12 months. During the same period, the Secretary of State has had no meetings with the Government's chief scientific adviser.

Unemployment Benefits

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of young people in each  (a) region,  (b) constituency and  (c) local authority area are claiming out of work benefits.

Jim Knight: holding answer 14 December 2009
	The available information has been placed in the Library.

Unemployment: Essex

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people in Castle Point constituency had been claiming jobseeker's allowance for  (a) less than six months,  (b) between six and 12 months,  (c) between 12 months and two years and  (d) more than two years on the latest date for which information is available;
	(2)  what the average length of time was for which a claimant resident in Castle Point constituency to be in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in each of the last  (a) 12 months and  (b) five years;
	(3)  how many people aged between 16 and 24 years in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point had been unemployed for over (i) six and (ii) 12 months in each of the last six months;
	(4)  how many people aged between 16 and 24 years in  (a) Essex and  (b) Castle Point constituency were unemployed in (i) May 1997 and (ii) each of the last six months for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions asking how many people in Castle Point constituency have been claiming jobseeker's allowance for (a) less than six months, (b) between six and 12 months, (c) between 12 months and two years and (d) more than two years on the latest date for which information is available; what the average length of time was for which claimant resident in Castle Point constituency to be in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in each of the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years; how many people aged between 16 and 24 years in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point have been unemployed for over (i) six and (ii) 12 months in each of the last six months; and how many people aged between 16 and 24 years in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point constituency were unemployed in (i) May 1997 and (ii) each of the last six months for which figures are available (307503, 307504, 307505, 307509).
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles unemployment statistics for local areas from the Annual Population Survey and its predecessor the annual Labour Force Survey (LFS) following International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions.
	However, estimates of unemployment for the requested age band, duration and geographies are not available. As an alternative, questions relating to unemployment have also been answered using Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) data.
	Table 1 attached, shows the number of persons resident in Castle Point constituency claiming JSA for (a) up to 26 weeks, (b) over 26 and up to 52 weeks, (c) over 52 and up to 104 weeks and (d) over 104 weeks in October 2009.
	Table 2 attached, shows the median length of live claims during the last 12 months up to the latest available period in October 2009, and for October of each of the last 5 years.
	Table 3 attached, shows the number of persons, aged 16 to 24, claiming JSA, in the requested geographies, for (a) over 26 weeks and (b) over 52 weeks in October 2009 and the previous 5 months.
	Table 4 attached, shows the number of persons, aged 16 to 24, claiming JSA in the requested geographies in (a) May 1997 and (b) from May to October 2009.
	National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
	http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of persons( 1)  resident in Castle Point claiming jobseeker's allowance by length of claim, October 2009 
			   Number 
			 Up to 26 weeks 1,265 
			 Over 26 weeks up to 52 weeks 400 
			 Over 52 weeks up to 104 weeks 115 
			 Over 104 weeks 20 
			 (1) Length of claim data are only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7 per cent. of all claims.  Note: Data rounded to nearest five.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Median length of claim of jobseeker's allowance of persons( 1)  resident in Castle Point constituency 
			   Median length of claim (months) 
			 October 2004 11.2 
			 October 2005 11.8 
			 October 2006 12.8 
			 October 2007 11.1 
			 October 2008 8.9 
			 November 2008 8.2 
			 December 2008 8.6 
			 January 2009 9.3 
			 February 2009 9.6 
			 March 2009 10.7 
			 April 2009 11.0 
			 May 2009 12.5 
			 June 2009 13.6 
			 July 2009 14.1 
			 August 2009 13.8 
			 September 2009 13.7 
			 October 2009 13.1 
			 (1) Length of claim data are only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7 per cent. of all claims.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Number of persons( 1)  age 16 to 24 claiming jobseeker's allowance by duration of claim 
			   Essex  Castle Point 
			   Over 26 weeks  Over 52 weeks  Over 26 weeks  Over 52 weeks 
			 May 2009 1,450 110 80 5 
			 June 2009 1,575 125 80 5 
			 July 2009 1,535 140 85 5 
			 August 2009 1,680 150 85 10 
			 September 2009 1,525 160 75 10 
			 October 2009 1,390 160 75 10 
			 (1) Length of claim data are only available for computerised claims, which account for 99.7 per cent. of all claims.  Note: Data rounded to nearest five.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Number of persons age 16 to 24 claiming jobseeker's allowance resident in Essex and Castle Point 
			   Essex  Castle Point 
			 May 1997 6,135 425 
			 May 2009 8,520 595 
			 June 2009 8,240 545 
			 July 2009 8,440 565 
			 August 2009 8,600 570 
			 September 2009 8,420 580 
			 October 2009 8,385 560 
			  Note: Data rounded to nearest five.  Source: Jobcentre Plus Administrative System.

Vacancies

Chloe Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many vacancies have been reported to Jobcentres in  (a) Norwich North constituency and  (b) each region (i) in each year since 1997 and (ii) in 2009 to date.

Jim Knight: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Vocational Training

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps her Department is taking to promote re-skilling initiatives in  (a) Coventry and  (b) the UK;
	(2)  how many re-skilling initiatives there are; and how much funding her Department has allocated in support of such schemes in 2009-10.

Jim Knight: We are working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and partners to implement a Government commitment to deliver a fully Integrated Employment and Skills (IES) service in England. The new integrated service will bring together and reform existing employment and skills services to better support skills acquisition, employment and career progression. IES trials are currently operating in 12 areas in England, one of which is in Coventry, and another four of which are in other parts of the West Midlands.
	The vision and principles of IES are shared across Great Britain. However, as skills policy is devolved in Scotland and Wales, we are working with their Governments to explore how an integrated service can be piloted and delivered in the devolved Administrations.
	The current challenging economic climate makes our focus on skills ever more important on an individual level for people who have been caught up in the downturn. As part of our response to the recession, we have intensified our support to help individuals identify skills needs and make more training available to jobseekers, through the response to redundancy package, the six month offer and the Young Person's Guarantee. The Government have allocated over £350 million in funding over two years for the training element of these programmes.

TRANSPORT

AP Braking

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2009,  Official Report, column 31W, on the Caparo Group, what the monetary value is of the contract his Department holds with AP Braking Ltd.

Chris Mole: The answer I gave to the hon. Member on 7 December 2009,  Official Report, column 31W, about whether the Department for Transport holds contracts with each company of the Caparo Group was incorrect.
	The Vehicle Certification Agency previously carried out approval work through a third party on AP Braking's products. However, there was no contract between the Department for Transport and AP Braking.

Aviation: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the average carbon emissions were per UK air passenger in each year since 1997.

Sadiq Khan: The following table provides estimates of aviation carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per passenger for all domestic and international air passengers flying from UK airports in each year from 1997 to 2007.
	2008 Air Passenger data are available but the 2008 CO2 emissions data will be released in February 2010.
	
		
			  Table: Estimates of average CO 2  emissions per passenger flying from UK airports, 1997-2007 
			   Domestic aviation  International aviation 
			   Carbon Dioxide (million tonnes)  Departing passengers (millions)  Average CO 2  per passenger (tonnes)  Carbon Dioxide (million tonnes)  Departing passengers (millions)  Average CO 2  per passenger (tonnes) 
			 1997 1.46 16.0 0.09 22.74 57.3 0.40 
			 1998 1.59 16.7 0.10 25.30 62.7 0.40 
			 1999 1.76 17.5 0.10 27.49 66.7 0.41 
			 2000 1.90 18.6 0.10 30.31 71.3 0.42 
			 2001 1.99 19.2 0.10 29.56 71.4 0.41 
			 2002 2.00 21.0 0.09 29.01 73.3 0.40 
			 2003 2.04 22.9 0.09 29.72 77.1 0.39 
			 2004 2.18 24.3 0.09 32.53 83.6 0.39 
			 2005 2.38 25.1 0.09 35.09 89.0 0.39 
			 2006 2.29 24.9 0.09 35.65 92.7 0.38 
			 2007 2.14 24.4 0.09 34.97 96.0 0.36 
			  Notes: 1. Domestic aviation includes all departures from UK airports flying to another UK airport. International aviation includes all departures from a UK airport flying to a destination outside of the UK. These will carry both UK and foreign passengers. 2. The aviation CO2 emissions are derived from bunker fuel sales, which broadly equates to all departing aircraft (excluding military aircraft). Therefore the figures in the table do not reflect emissions from surface access nor emissions from airport buildings. 3. Emissions from freighter aircraft have been allocated to passengers in these illustrative figures. 4. The CO2 emissions do not account for non-CO2 climate change effects of aviation emissions.  Source: Carbon dioxide emissions-AEA Energy and Environment/DECC. Passengers-Civil Aviation Authority statistics. 
		
	
	The average CO2 per passenger figures in the table have been calculated by dividing total CO2 emissions from departing flights by the number of departing passengers. They do not therefore reflect a weighted average of emissions to account for the relative numbers of flights flying different trip lengths. The level of emissions per passenger will be affected by such factors as load factors, type of aircraft used and fuel efficiency changes.

Biofuels: Imports

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what percentage of biodiesel used in the UK was imported from the US in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Sadiq Khan: The Department does not hold information on biofuel supplied before the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) began in April 2008.
	Provisional data from the Renewable Fuels Agency show that 38 per cent. of the biodiesel supplied for use in the UK in 2008-09 was reported as coming from the US.

Bus Services: Fares

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the percentage change in bus fares in  (a) passenger transport executive areas,  (b) other urban areas,  (c) London and  (d) other areas of England was from one year to the next in each year since 2007.

Sadiq Khan: Figures are available for Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) areas and London, but it is not possible to separate other urban areas and other areas of England using published statistics. The available statistics are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Year-on-year percentage change in bus fares index in England 
			  Financial year  London  PTE areas( 1)  Rest of England( 2) 
			 2006-07 8 1 -4 
			 2007-08 5 6 5 
			 2008-09 0 7 6 
			 (1) PTE areas are Tyne and Wear, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the West Midlands. (2) The negative fares growth in the "Rest of England" in 2006-07 is largely a result of the introduction of the free local bus travel concession for older or disabled people in April 2006. This generally had a greater impact on fares structures outside of London and the PTE areas. 
		
	
	These percentage changes are calculated using the differences in the average of the bus fares index over each year. They therefore reflect the change from the average fare level in the previous year to the average fare level in the current year.

Bus Services: Fares

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what formula is used to allocate national concessionary bus fare grants to local authorities.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) provides the majority of concessionary travel funding to local authorities through Formula Grant. This is a block grant, so it is not possible to say how much of this grant is provided for concessionary travel. Formula grant is largely distributed using the socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the authority, together with the number of band-D equivalent properties within the authority's area.
	The Department for Transport provides the remainder through a special grant. This is funding solely to cover the extra costs brought about by the improvement to the statutory minimum concession which gives free off-peak local bus travel England-wide from April 2008.
	The special grant formula takes into account the eligible local population, bus patronage, overnight visitors and retail space. It is designed to direct funding towards areas of greater demand, such as coastal towns and urban centres.
	The Government recognise that there are some issues around the distribution of special grant and that some Travel Concession Authorities have genuine funding problems, so we are now consulting on changes to the distribution of the special grant for 2010-11. The proposed revised distribution is based on an analysis of the actual additional costs incurred in 2008-09 as a result of the improved concession.

Bus Services: Yorkshire

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which bus companies his Department subsidises in Yorkshire; and how much funding it provided to each such company in each of the last 10 years.

Sadiq Khan: The Government subsidise bus services in England through the Department's bus service operators grant (BSOG) which is paid to operators of local bus services.
	The following table shows BSOG payments made to bus operators in Yorkshire in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Data are not available for years prior to 2008-09.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Operator  2008-09  2009-10  Grand total 
			 Abbey Travel 8,645 14,918 23,563 
			 Acklams Coaches Ltd. 16,223 49,292 65,515 
			 Andrews (Sheffield) Ltd. 1,094,361 823,279 1,917,640 
			 Arriva Yorkshire Ltd. 2,307,938 1,873,074 4,181,012 
			 Arriva Yorkshire North Ltd. 564,823 452,286 1,017,109 
			 Arriva Yorkshire West Ltd. 2,042,380 1,551,754 3,594,134 
			 As Coaches 3,317 2,884 6,201 
			 Atkinson's Coaches 2,345 2,343 4,688 
			 Aydons Travel Services - 996 996 
			 B. L. Travel 55,300 51,193 106,493 
			 B. Line Travel Ltd. 22,951 - 22,951 
			 Barnsley and District Traction Co. Ltd. 180,517 119,566 300,083 
			 Bibby's of Ingleton 2,599 2,020 4,618 
			 Botterills 915 549 1,464 
			 Brecks International 3,988 2,640 6,628 
			 Castle Coaches (Skipton) 5,044 3,506 8,550 
			 Central Travel Sheffield Ltd. 9,799 18,462 28,261 
			 City Travel Yorkshire Ltd. 13,245 26,330 39,575 
			 Coastal and Country Coaches Ltd. 24,832 19,787 44,619 
			 Darren Mayes T/A M. Travel 67,598 56,690 124,288 
			 Denny's Coaches 24,171 1,220 25,392 
			 Dewhirst Coaches 1,206 - 1,206 
			 Door to Door Bus Co. 5,516 - 5,516 
			 E. Stott and Sons Ltd. 94,721 60,174 154,896 
			 East Yorks Motor Services Ltd. 2,563,648 2,057,546 4,621,194 
			 Eddie Brown Tours Ltd. 38 - 38 
			 Esk Valley Coaches Ltd. - 20 20 
			 Expressway Coaches Ltd. 38,801 16,766 55,567 
			 Fair Rider 57,757 - 57,757 
			 First Halifax 2,027,006 1,448,793 3,475,798 
			 First Huddersfield 1,392,889 1,079,992 2,472,881 
			 First Leeds 6,708,944 5,012,644 11,721,588 
			 First South Yorkshire Ltd. 8,479,453 6,457,669 14,937,122 
			 First West Yorkshire Ltd. 2,990,381 1,868,643 4,859,024 
			 First York (Rider York) Ltd. 1,616,168 1,043,766 2,659,934 
			 Frank Poppleton and Co. 27,511 16,128 43,639 
			 G. and R. Travel - 476 476 
			 G Abbott and Sons 121,246 163,095 284,341 
			 Geldards Coaches Ltd. 42,054 48,681 90,735 
			 Godson's Coaches 3,594 6,986 10,580 
			 H. Atkinson and Sons (Ingleby) Ltd. 1,497 1,142 2,639 
			 Halifax Bus Co. Ltd. 81,295 86,612 167,907 
			 Halifax Joint Committee 155,031 114,088 269,119 
			 Harrogate and District Travel Ltd. 979,919 748,601 1,728,521 
			 Harrogate Coach Travel 131,226 116,204 247,430 
			 Harrogate District Community Transport Ltd. 36,378 24,635 61,012 
			 Hodgson and Son - 12,358 12,358 
			 Horseless Carriage Services 38,233 29,099 67,331 
			 Hutchinsons 103,195 53,188 156,383 
			 J. J. Longstaff and Sons Ltd. 16,391 7,084 23,475 
			 J. Motley and Son 2,165 1,697 3,862 
			 J. S. Perry and Sons 7,366 - 7,366 
			 Jacksons of Silsden 1988 Ltd. 14,274 8,408 22,681 
			 John Rigby Travel 2,646 2,748 5,394 
			 John Smith and Sons Ltd. 53,608 36,902 90,510 
			 JRT 4,505 4,184 8,689 
			 Keighley and District Travel Ltd. 899,593 622,817 1,522,410 
			 Kirkby Lonsdale Coach Hire Ltd. 54,111 49,681 103,792 
			 Ladyline Services 8,927 3,845 12,772 
			 Leven Valley Coaches 101,241 67,553 168,794 
			 Linburg Touring Ltd. 25,656 32,075 57,731 
			 Loonat Coaches Travel Ltd. 8,477 3,423 11,900 
			 Lords Coaches 12,293 7,637 19,931 
			 M. and D. Mini Coach Hire 3,525 - 3,525 
			 Manor Travel 9,771 - 9,771 
			 Morse Coaches 1,350 1,798 3,148 
			 Mount Taxis 8,409 6,504 14,913 
			 Northern Spirit Minicoaches 178 - 178 
			 Pearsons Coaches 3,011 8,102 11,113 
			 Pennine Motor Services Ltd. 80,139 67,330 147,470 
			 Pioneer Travel 2,213 - 2,213 
			 Powells Bus Co. Ltd. 151,779 133,298 285,077 
			 Procters of Bedale 201,517 149,292 350,809 
			 R. Drury Coaches 5,992 3,195 9,187 
			 R. Handley and Sons Ltd. 6,128 3,545 9,673 
			 Rackford Coaches 40 1,348 1,388 
			 Rainbow Travel 2,373 1,584 3,958 
			 Reliance Motor Services 62,061 59,752 121,813 
			 Roaminey Travel 298 - 298 
			 Ross Travel 47,449 40,334 87,783 
			 Route 1 Travel Ltd. - 8,525 8,525 
			 Sheffield Community Transport 263,345 137,669 401,014 
			 Shoreline Suncruisers 28,069 23,858 51,926 
			 South Yorkshire Motors 34,487 - 34,487 
			 South Yorkshire Rider Ltd. 6,238 30,614 36,851 
			 Star Travel Holidays Ltd. 39,585 18,706 58,290 
			 Stephensons of Easingwold Ltd. 291,389 233,532 524,921 
			 Stringers Pontefract Motorways 15,430 15,480 30,910 
			 Sunny Travel 25,819 10,553 36,371 
			 Sweyne Coaches and Co 34,482 25,334 59,816 
			 T. D. Travel 17,309 20,046 37,354 
			 Tates Travel 18,347 49,788 68,135 
			 Teamdeck Ltd. T/A K-Line 207,427 146,230 353,657 
			 Tetley's Motor Services Ltd. 1,732 2,011 3,744 
			 Thornes Independent Ltd. 16,149 7,499 23,648 
			 TLC Travel Ltd. 25,657 43,726 69,383 
			 Top Line Travel of York Ltd. 25,183 - 25,183 
			 Transdev York 85,698 123,445 209,143 
			 Travel Master - 8,251 8,251 
			 Utopia Coaches 13,130 10,513 23,643 
			 Veolia Transport 276,295 14,139 290,435 
			 Wilfreda Luxury Coaches Ltd. 173,406 142,601 316,007 
			 Woodside Continental Tours 8,111 10,003 18,114 
			 York Pullman Bus Co. 29,025 66,844 95,869 
			 Yorkshire Coastliner Ltd. 483,081 362,801 845,882 
			 Yorkshire Traction Co. Ltd. 2,313,959 1,488,989 3,802,948 
			 Grand total 40,379,539 29,865,385 70,244,924

Cars: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many cars with tailpipe carbon emissions below 110g/km were sold in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009; and what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on the number of such cars sold in each EU member state in each such year.

Sadiq Khan: Data on carbon dioxide emissions per km (gCO2/km) from new cars registered in the UK are only available up to the year 2008. These data are published on the Department for Transport's website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/licensing/
	A total of 75,000 new cars with CO2 emissions under 110g CO2/km were registered in the UK in 2008. The Department does not collect any data on the number of similar cars registered in other EU member states.

Chief Executives: Pay

John Leech: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what bonuses were paid to each agency chief executive within his responsibility in the last two years for which figures are available.

Chris Mole: Information on the remuneration of individual agency chief executives in the Department for Transport is included in their agency's annual report and accounts. Copies of these are available in the Libraries of the House.

Dartford Crossing: Fees and Charges

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent representations he has received on the local residents' discount scheme for the Dartford Crossing.

Sadiq Khan: From 1 August 2008 to 11 December 2009, the Department for Transport has received three items of ministerial correspondence specifically categorised as being about the local residents' discount scheme for the Dartford crossing.
	In addition the Highways Agency and their service providers have dealt with a further 108 e-mails, four letters, 15 inquiries to the Highways Agency information line, 14 telephone calls directly to staff at the Dartford crossing and three complaints in person from members of the public.

Departmental Computers

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what guidance is issued to employees of his Department and its agencies on the use of work computers for personal tasks.

Chris Mole: holding answer 14 December 2009
	Where the Department for Transport and its agencies allow staff to make use of work computers for personal tasks, advise and guidance is available via the intranet for all staff.
	Staff are not permitted to make inappropriate use of departmental resources such as official time, materials, information and e-mail/internet system. Staff are advised to ensure that personal use does not place excessive demands on the Department's ICT facilities so that business use is impaired.

Departmental Conferences

John Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport which conferences held overseas have been attended by civil servants based in his Department in the last three years; and what the cost to the public purse was of such attendance at each conference.

Chris Mole: The information requested is available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside the Office of Rail Regulations buildings attended by civil servants in that office there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Chris Mole: Because of the format in which data about how the costs of such events are recorded, the total number of away days and conferences held outside Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) buildings is unavailable.
	The independent Office of Rail Regulation only holds separate information on expenditure on away days and conferences since 2007. Any information prior to this date could only be retrieved and provided at disproportionate cost.
	Since September 2007, the independent Office of Rail Regulation has spent the following on away days and conferences:
	
		
			  Table 1 
			  Financial year  Away days expenditure  (£)  Conference expenditure  (£) 
			 2007-08(1) 28,027.31 20,115.95 
			 2008-09 16,667.53 59,427.44 
			 2009-10(2) 25,828.71 25,601.40 
			 (1) From September 2007 (when ORR moved to a new accounting system). (2) From April to November 2009.

Departmental Publicity

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has spent on  (a) Ministerial photoshoots and  (b) production of videos in which Ministers appear in the last three years for which figures are available.

Chris Mole: During the last three financial calendar years for which figures are available, nothing was spent by the Department for Transport on ministerial photoshoots.
	The Department has spent the following amounts on the production of videos in which Ministers appear: £2,752 in 2007-08 and £1,117 in 2008-09. The Department has not retained the figures for 2006-07.

Departmental Training

John Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many overseas training courses were attended by his Department's civil servants in the latest period for which figures are available; how many civil servants attended each course; and what the total cost to the public purse was of each course.

Chris Mole: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many and what percentage of Parliamentary Questions tabled for written answer by his Department on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day.

Chris Mole: In Session 2008-09 the Department responded to 669 (72.7 per cent.) of named day parliamentary questions on the due date.
	Central guidance on answering parliamentary questions is now available in the 'Guide to Parliamentary Work', at
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/parliamentary-clerk-guide.aspx
	In the response to the Procedure Committee Report on written parliamentary questions, the Government accepted the Committee's recommendation that Departments be required to provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics in a standard format on the time taken to respond to written parliamentary questions, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out any factors affecting their performance. This will be taken forward as soon as possible.

Driving: Research

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent research his Department has  (a) undertaken and  (b) commissioned comparing the risks associated with drink driving with those associated with driving while using a hand-held mobile telephone.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport has neither undertaken nor commissioned any research on this question.

Ferries: Safety

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what checks are in place to ensure that ferries servicing British ports do not sail with a dangerous load distribution.

Paul Clark: The Merchant Shipping (Weighing of Goods Vehicles and Other Cargo) Regulations 1988, as amended, require the owners of roll-on/roll-off passenger ships on short international voyages operating from United Kingdom ports to ensure that, with the exception of buses, all goods and other vehicles with an actual or maximum gross weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes, and any cargo items exceeding 7.5 tonnes, are individually weighed before loading. Those weights are then used to calculate the stability of the ship.
	As part of the regular survey of UK registered ships and inspections of foreign ships operating out of UK ports, marine surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency may verify that the information required by the Merchant Shipping (Weighing of Goods Vehicles and Other Cargo) Regulations 1988 is supplied.

Heathrow Airport

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what criteria apply in the determination of planning applications for a third runway at Heathrow airport.

Paul Clark: Any proposal for a third runway at Heathrow airport would be likely to meet the threshold for a nationally significant infrastructure project under the Planning Act 2008. The Government's intention is to switch on the new planning regime for transport infrastructure from 1 March 2010, and any application made after that date for a new runway caught by the threshold would be considered by the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC). Section 104 of the Act sets out the factors to which the IPC must have regard when determining an application. In the absence of a designated national policy statement at the point of decision, the application would be determined by the Secretary of State, based on a recommendation by the IPC.

Heathrow Airport: Air Traffic

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many short-haul flights landed at Heathrow airport in 2008, broken down by  (a) internal and  (b) near-Europe flights.

Paul Clark: The number of internal (UK domestic) flights that landed at Heathrow in 2008 was 30,000.
	The number of near-Europe (short-haul international) flights that landed at Heathrow in 2008 was 118,000. Short-haul international flights include: EU-27 countries, Norway, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Turkey and Former Yugoslavia.

Humber Bridge: Tolls

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely impact of freezing the levels of Humber Bridge tolls on  (a) businesses,  (b) jobs and  (c) inward investment in the Yorkshire and Humber region;
	(2)  what his reasons were for rejecting proposed increases in toll charges on the Humber Bridge in 2010.

Sadiq Khan: The decision not to accept the 2009 toll increase was taken in the context of the Government doing everything they can to protect communities and businesses from the economic downturn and to assist economic recovery.
	We are undertaking a Department for Transport appraisal of the reports commissioned by the relevant local authorities in relation to the economic impact of the Humber Bridge tolls on the region.

Humberside Road Safety Partnership

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many people the Humberside Road Safety Partnership employed  (a) in each year since its establishment and  (b) at the latest date for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: This information is not held by the Department for Transport; however, the partnership itself may be able to supply the information requested.

Humberside Road Safety Partnership

Greg Knight: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much funding his Department provided for the Humberside Road Safety Partnership  (a) in each year since its inception and  (b) in 2009-10 to date.

Paul Clark: The Humberside Road Safety partnership has received the following net funding since its inception:
	
		
			   Net funding (£) 
			 2003-04 2,367,151 
			 2004-05 2,181,397 
			 2005-06 2,406,449 
			 2006-07 2,103,015 
		
	
	Further details of this funding can be found on the Department for Transport (DfT) website
	www.dft.gov.uk
	For 2007-08 onwards the Department has not provided funding directly to the partnership. Instead it provides funding to the local highway authorities within Humberside and they decide about how to spend that funding, including for the Humberside partnership. Information about this funding is also on the DfT website in the form of letters to authorities.

Lorries

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport 
	(1)  how many miles UK and foreign-registered heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes travelled on UK  (a) motorways and  (b) trunk roads in the last 12 months for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many miles UK and foreign-registered heavy goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes travelled on all UK roads in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Paul Clark: holding answer 14 December 2009
	Statistics for miles travelled by UK and Foreign heavy good vehicles are not available for travel on UK roads. Figures are available for travel on roads in Great Britain.
	Heavy goods vehicles (over 3.5 tonnes) travelled 17.8 billion vehicle miles on all roads in Great Britain in 2008, of which 7.5 billion vehicle miles were on motorways and 3.8 billion miles were on trunk roads.
	In 2008, 3.5 per cent. of all HGV traffic in Great Britain was estimated to be driven by foreign registered vehicles.
	The estimated miles travelled by UK and foreign registered heavy goods vehicles and road class is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Billion vehicle miles 
			   Registered heavy goods vehicles 
			   UK  Foreign  Total 
			 All roads 17.2 0.6 17.8 
			 Of which:
			 Motorways 7.2 0.3 7.5 
			 Trunk roads(1) 3.7 0.1 3.8 
			 (1) The estimate of foreign registered heavy goods vehicles on trunk roads is calculated from the proportion of foreign registered HGVs on all A roads, which includes principle roads and trunk roads.  Sources: Traffic-National Road Traffic Survey Registration-Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion survey (June 2008)

Lorries: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many  (a) deaths and  (b) major injuries were caused in 2008-09 by objects from unsecured freight vehicle loads falling off vehicles.

Paul Clark: In 2008 there were two deaths and 22 serious injuries in reported personal injury road accidents involving a dislodged vehicle load in the carriageway. It is not known what types of vehicles the loads came from. This does not include cases where a dislodged vehicle load was in the carriageway as a result of a previous accident.

Lorries: Safety

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport in what circumstances heavy goods vehicles registered outside the UK are permitted to enter the UK where the weight and axle arrangements are such that they would not be permitted for UK-registered vehicles.

Paul Clark: Heavy goods vehicles registered outside the UK are not permitted to enter the UK with axle or gross weights exceeding those permitted for UK registered vehicles.

Motor Vehicles: Sales

John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many  (a) low carbon road vehicles and  (b) road vehicles were sold in the UK in each of the last five years.

Sadiq Khan: Data on new vehicle registrations in the UK are collected by the DVLA (Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency). Table 1 shows the number of new vehicle registrations in the UK from 2004 to 2008. These data are published on the Department for Transport's website which can be found at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/licensing/
	
		
			  Table 1: Motor vehicles registered for the first time, 2004 to 2008 
			  Thousands 
			   Cars  Motorcycles  Vans  HGVs  Buses & coaches  Other  Total 
			 2004 2,599 137 341 53 13 42 3,185 
			 2005 2,443 136 330 57 13 43 3,021 
			 2006 2,340 135 328 54 12 43 2,914 
			 2007 2,390 146 340 47 12 61 2,997 
			 2008 2,112 142 291 53 12 63 2,672 
		
	
	Data on the C02 emissions from most road vehicles are not available. However, since 2001, DVLA has collected data on the C02 emissions (gC02/km) of new cars registered in accordance with EU Decision 1753/2000/EC. There is no precise definition of a low carbon vehicle. Table 2 shows the number of new cars registered in the UK over the last five years with C02 emissions below 120gCO2/km. These cars have significantly lower C02 emissions than the average for newly registered cars in 2008 of 158gC02/km and have risen as a share of all newly registered cars from 3 per cent. in 2004 to 11 per cent. in 2008.
	
		
			  Table 2: Cars registered for the first time by gC0 2 /km, 2004 to 2008 
			  Thousands 
			   Cars below 120gCO 2 /km  Cars above 120gCO 2 /km  Unknown  Total  Cars below 120g as a percentage of total 
			 2004 79 2,443 77 2,599 3 
			 2005 75 2,311 57 2,443 3 
			 2006 106 2,190 45 2,340 5 
			 2007 131 2,221 38 2,390 5 
			 2008 227 1,857 28 2,112 11

Railways: Fares

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what role his Department has in defining peak and off-peak times in respect of the calculation of rail fares.

Chris Mole: The Department for Transport ensures that the maximum restrictions that may be placed on the validity of regulated off-peak fares are protected through provisions in franchise agreements.
	Where commuter fares are regulated, the peak fares are regulated within the maximum restriction set by the Department, but it is possible for the start of the off-peak to be defined by operators as earlier than the maximum.
	In London on oyster pay-as-you-go (PAYG) the off-peak has been agreed with Transport for London and is captured in the PAYG agreement.

Roads: Accidents

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many deaths there were in motor accidents in which a contributory factor was  (a) consumption of illegal drugs,  (b) consumption of alcohol and  (c) tiredness of the driver during December in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: Information about contributory factors to road accidents has been collected since 2005. The information requested is shown for each year since then in the following table:
	
		
			  Fatalities in road accidents in December with selected contributory factors reported( 1) : GB 2005-2008 
			   Contributory factor reported in accident 
			   (a) Impaired by alcohol  (b) Impaired by drugs (illicit or medicinal)  (c) Fatigue 
			 2005 38 5 13 
			 2006 36 10 7 
			 2007 20 5 3 
			 2008 16 4 3 
			 (1) Includes accidents where the police attended the scene and reported a contributory factor. 
		
	
	Contributory factors reflect the police officer's opinion at the time of reporting, and where some factors may have contributed to the cause of an accident it may be difficult for a police officer attending the scene after the accident to identify them, so these factors may be underreported. Not all reported road accidents are included in the contributory factor analysis, only those where a police officer attended the scene and at least one contributory factor was reported.

Roads: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the average level of carbon dioxide emitted per mile driven was for road traffic in the latest year for which figures are available; what information he holds for benchmarking purposes on such levels in each  (a) EU and  (b) G8 country in that year; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Clark: The Department for Transport publishes estimates of road traffic and CO2 emissions from road transport in "Transport Statistics Great Britain". The latest edition can be found at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb
	This data can be used to provide an estimate of the average level of carbon dioxide per mile for road traffic. For 2007, the latest year for which data are available, this figure is 379gCO2/mile.
	"Transport Statistics Great Britain" does include similar data for road traffic and CO2 emissions for other EU-27 and some G8 countries, but the road traffic and CO2 emissions data are not held for the same year and so a similar calculation of average CO2 per mile can not be made.

Roads: Freight

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what the annual movement of freight by road in billion tonne miles was in each year since 1997.

Paul Clark: Domestic road freight transport performed by GB-registered vehicles is available in Table 4.1 in the publication 'Transport Statistics Great Britain 2009 Edition'. This is available on the DFT website at the following link:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/tsgb/2009edition/
	This table does not include the activity of foreign registered vehicles as this is not centrally collected.
	A summary is provided as follows:
	
		
			  Domestic freight transport by road, Great Britain 
			   Goods moved  (billion tonne kilometres) 
			 1997 157 
			 1998 160 
			 1999 158 
			 2000 159 
			 2001 159 
			 2002 159 
			 2003 162 
			 2004 163 
			 2005 163 
			 2006 167 
			 2007 173 
			 2008 163

Scientists

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many times the Secretary of State has met  (a) the Government chief scientific adviser and  (b) his Department's chief scientific adviser in the course of his official duties in the last 12 months.

Chris Mole: The current Secretary of State met the Government chief scientific adviser on several occasions in his former role as Minister of State through their joint attendance of the Cabinet Committee for Science and Innovation.
	The then Secretary of State met the Department's chief scientific adviser on the 28 April 2009. In his former role as Minister of State, the current Secretary of State met the Department's chief scientific adviser five times in the last 12 months in the course of his official duties and has regular informal discussions with him in the margins of meetings and events.

Severn Bridge: Tolls

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his officials have had with the Severn River Crossing plc on toll charges in 2010.

Sadiq Khan: While I have not had any discussions with Severn River Crossing plc (SRC) about toll charges for next year, officials for the Department for Transport have. As required under the Severn Bridges Act 1992, it is necessary to review toll levels each year in line with the retail price index. Departmental officials have corresponded with SRC in relation to the calculation of the toll levels following publication of the September RPI figure, as well as the reintroduction of the 17.5 per cent. VAT rate.

Severn Bridge: Tolls

Roger Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent discussions he has had with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers on the level of toll charges on the Severn Crossing.

Sadiq Khan: I have had no discussions with Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) Ministers on the level of tolls on the Severn Crossings. Department for Transport officials do have regular contact with staff from the WAG on various matters concerning the Severn River Crossings as part of normal Highways Agency operations.

Transport: Autism

John Leech: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department is developing a strategy for improving access to transport for people with autism.

Sadiq Khan: The Department for Transport is aware that people with sensory sensitivities or who find it difficult to manage in crowds may also find difficulty in accessing transport. The Department will therefore be contributing to the design and delivery of the Government's Strategy for adults with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASCs).
	The Department has already contributed to the Department of Health's Valuing People Now (VPN) strategy. A key feature for transport within the VPN strategy is travel training which helps to instil confidence in people to use public transport. We are looking at how best to encourage more travel training schemes across the country tailored to meet the needs of a wide range of people, including those with ASCs.

Transport: Carbon Emissions

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what carbon dioxide emissions from the transport sector were in each year since 2000, broken down by mode of transport; and what measures he has in place to reduce those emissions.

Sadiq Khan: The transport carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by mode and year up to 2007 are available in our transport statistics publication (Transport Statistics Great Britain 2009-table 3.7):
	
		
			  Million tonnes of carbon dioxide 
			  (a) By IPCC source category (NAEI)( 1)  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			  Transport: 
			  Road transport 116.1 116.1 118.5 118.3 119.5 120 120.4 121.6 
			 Passenger cars 77.6 77.3 78.8 77.4 78.1 77.5 77 76.8 
			 Light duty vehicles 11.1 10.9 11.5 11.6 12.3 13.8 14 14.5 
			 Buses 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.8 3 
			 HGVs 24.2 24.7 24.8 25.7 25.4 24.8 25.4 26.3 
			 Mopeds and motorcycles 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 
			 LPG emissions (all vehicles) 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 
			 Other (road vehicle engines) 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			  
			  Other transport 7.3 6.9 6.5 8.2 8.4 9.1 10.4 9.7 
			 Civil aviation 1.9 2 2 2 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.1 
			 Railways(2) 1.8 1.9 1.9 2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2 
			 National navigation 3.1 2.6 2.2 3.7 3.7 4.2 5.5 4.9 
			 Other (aircraft support vehicles) 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5 
			  
			 Total domestic transport 123.4 123 125 126.4 127.8 129.1 130.8 131.4 
			 (1) Source categories relate directly to the vehicle or other piece of equipment producing the emission. (2) Railway emissions are those from diesel trains only.  Note: Data are presented as the weight of carbon dioxide emitted. UK national emission estimates are updated annually and any developments in methodology are applied retrospectively to earlier years.  Source: AEA Energy and Environment/DECC 
		
	
	The measures set out in "Low Carbon Transport: A Greener Future", (July 2009) the Department's carbon reduction strategy, mean that transport will make a major contribution to meeting the Government's carbon reduction commitments.
	There are three central themes to the carbon reduction strategy: supporting a shift to new technologies and fuels; promoting lower carbon choices and using market mechanisms to encourage a shift to lower carbon transport.
	In the strategy we made a commitment to publish an implementation plan in spring 2010. The plan will set out the details of our delivery milestones and the mechanisms through which we will monitor progress.

Waterloo Station

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when he expects the platforms formerly used for Eurostar services to Waterloo to come back into use.

Chris Mole: holding answer 23 November 2009
	Network Rail has been instructed by the Office of Rail Regulation to undertake the works necessary for Waterloo international station to be used by domestic train services from December 2011.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

AS Biss: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what payments the Olympic Delivery Authority has made to Mandate/AS Biss in the last 12 months; for what purpose; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Minister for the Olympics on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 641W.

Chief Information Officer

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what pay band his Department's Chief Information Officer (CIO) is employed; whether the CIO is employed on a fixed-term or permanent contract; and what the size is of the budget for which the CIO is responsible in the period 2009-10.

Si�n Simon: The Department's current Chief Information Officer (CIO) is a Deputy Director (Senior Civil Service Pay Band 1), is employed on a permanent contract and for 2009--10 is responsible for a budget of £5.2 million.

Departmental Billing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of invoices submitted to his Department have been paid within 10 days in each month since October 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Si�n Simon: In October 2008 the Prime Minister announced that all central Government Departments will pay valid invoices within 10 (working) days.
	The Department's performance for payment of invoices in each month since November 2008 against this commitment is set out in the table. There was no requirement to gather and maintain data on this basis prior to November 2008. To provide this information would incur disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number of invoices paid  Percentage of invoices paid within 10 working days 
			 November 2008 454 43 
			 December 2008 492 77 
			 January 2009 410 80 
			 February 2009 434 87 
			 March 2009 538 88 
			 April 2009 437 87 
			 May 2009 355 85 
			 June 2009 407 84 
			 July 2009 633 91 
			 August 2009 506 94 
			 September 2009 512 91 
			 October 2009 553 95 
			 November 2009 562 94

Gambling Commission: Standards

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had with the Gambling Commission on increases to its efficiency.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My most recent meeting with the chair and chief executive of the Gambling Commission was held on 18 November where we discussed a range of issues relating to gambling regulation, including the Gambling Commission's costs and priorities.

Horserace Totalisator Board

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the monetary value was of funds held by the Tote in unpaid winnings in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Tote has advised that gross figures for uncollected winnings recorded at the relevant financial year ends are:
	
		
			  Financial year  Total dividends unclaimed (£) 
			 2009 1,041,131 
			 2008 1,169,293 
			 2007 1,033,620 
			 2006 1,069,281 
			 2005 943,604 
			 2004 968,536 
			 2003 858,503 
			 2002 746,833 
			 2001 667,401 
		
	
	For winning Tote pool bets that are uncollected, the liability to pay the winning ticket holder remains with the Tote as a contractual debt for six years (until a claim is time barred under the statute of limitations).
	Accounting policies allow these unpaid dividends, less a provision based on the Tote's experience of likely volumes of late claims, to be counted into the Tote pool's yearly profit. This is, in turn, entirely paid through to Racing within the Tote's Contribution to Racing that is described in the Tote's annual report and accounts.

Public Expenditure

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding for  (a) the arts,  (b) heritage,  (c) active leisure and  (d) museums (i) his Department and (ii) each publicly-funded body within his Department's responsibility has provided for (A) England, (B) the South West Region and (C) each local authority area within the South West Region from 1997 to 2009.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department does not hold the information in the format requested, however, it holds information on cultural recreational and sporting services by region as shown in the following table. These figures were published by HM Treasury in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA).
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Cultural services  Recreational and sporting services 
			   England  South West  England  South West 
			 2003-04 858.2 77.7 131.7 6.8 
			 2004-05 822.0 91.4 160.7 9.4 
			 2005-06 880.0 80.6 129.3 3.9 
			 2006-07(1) 1,326.6 153.7 327.9 28.0 
			 2007-08 1,240.5 123.0 331.9 27.1 
			 (1) In 2006-07 HM Treasury adopted a functional analysis based on the United Nations Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG). This means that lottery spending is allocated to specific areas of spend when it was previously recorded as a separate line. 
		
	
	Information for previous years is not available on a consistent basis.

Sports: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of sports centres in Leeds city area.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Through Sport England, our non-departmental public body with responsibility for community sport, we provide a range of facilities and planning services that are designed to develop strategic planning for sports facilities across England. Sport England ensures that the development of new sports facilities is underpinned by a robust needs and evidence base.
	Sport England also aim to improve facility design and modernisation to raise standards across the sector, with a series of detailed design guidance notes.
	From 2002-03 to the first six months of 2009-10 the total value of capital awards to Leeds was £731,464. This includes two awards to modernise swimming facilities within Leeds through the Free Swimming programme, and awards made to six projects to develop community clubs.
	From 1994-95 to the first six months of 2009/20-10 the total value of capital awards to Leeds was £13,611,140.

Sports: Obesity

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps his Department is taking to encourage participation in sport in order to reduce levels of obesity.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My Department is promoting sport for people of all ages and backgrounds, both as something enjoyable and worthwhile in itself and as something that has a vital role to play in tackling obesity. This is why we are working to get one million more people doing more sport, as part of a wider joint target with the Department of Health to get two million more people more physically active.
	In addition, through the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People as part of Olympic PSA 22, we are creating a world-class system of PE and sport aiming to offer all young people five hours per week of PE and sport.
	The strategy is jointly owned by DCMS and DCSF, and delivered by Sport England (community sport), and the Youth Sport Trust (school sport) through the network of 450 School Sport Partnerships.
	In 2002 an estimated one in four children aged five to 16 were doing two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week; following £1.5 billion investment in 2003-08, 90 per cent. of pupils now do at least two hours in a typical week.
	The strategy links closely with other cross-Government policies and investment, notably Change4Life, active play, combating childhood obesity, and Positive Activities for Young People.
	Another example of our drive to reduce levels of obesity is the free swimming initiative whereby Departments across Government-DCMS, and the DH; Work and Pensions; Children, Schools and Families; and Communities and Local Government-joined together to provide a £140 million funding pot.
	Our aim is that this provision, for over 60s and under 16s, should contribute to reducing levels of obesity and bring long-term benefits to health and well-being.

Television: Licensing

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to enable British troops serving in Afghanistan to claim a rebate on their television licence fee for the time they are serving away from home.

Si�n Simon: Provision exists in the current legislation for refunds in certain circumstances. The interpretation and enforcement of the legislation on television licensing is a matter for the BBC.

CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES

Children: Day Care

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children aged  (a) three and  (b) four years old are receiving 15 hours a week of free nursery education in Hampstead and Highgate constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: Latest available data as at January 2009 show there are no three and four year old children receiving 15 hours a week of free nursery education in Hampstead and Highgate constituency.
	Currently, all three and four year old children are entitled to 12.5 hours of free early education a week for 38 weeks per year. Since September 2009, all local authorities have been delivering an extended offer of 15 funded hours a week to their 25 per cent. most disadvantaged three and four year olds. This is in addition to 34 pathfinder local authorities already delivering an extended offer of 15 hours a week to all children in their area. Camden local authority, in which the Hampstead and Highgate constituency falls, is not one of the pathfinders.
	From September 2010 all eligible three and four year old children will be entitled to 15 hours a week free provision over no fewer than 38 weeks of the year offered on a more flexible basis to better meet families' needs.

Children: Day Care

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many childcare places were provided in Leeds West constituency since 1997.

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many childcare providers are based in Barnsley East and Mexborough constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on the number of registered childcare providers and places is not available below local authority level.

Co-operative Schools

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assistance his Department is providing for the expansion of the co-operative schools network; by what mechanism schools become co-operative schools; and what target he has set for the number of co-operative schools.

Vernon Coaker: A pilot of co-operative trust schools involving up to 100 schools was announced on 11 September 2008. The pilot provides up to an additional £5,000 for each school seeking to become a co-operative trust school (above and beyond the usual £10,000 support funding currently available for schools seeking trust status) to fund consultancy services, training and support to develop the membership model. The pilot will run for two years. The Secretary of State announced an aspiration of up to 200 co-operative schools at the co-operative conference on 11 September 2009.
	The pilot is testing a particular model of trust school and any individual or organisation seeking to develop a co-operative membership trust is welcome to participate once we are satisfied of their ability of running a membership model. It is for the Governing Body of a school to decide whether or not trust status is right for the school, however, to access the support funding and advice and guidance on the technical processes around acquiring a trust, schools can submit an expression of interest to the Trust Schools programme. It is also possible for an academy to be established using the co-operative model.
	Earlier this year, the Department published Co-Operative Schools-Making a Difference, which marks the first time we have produced a guide on co-operative schools. It shows the wide range of ways that schools can embed co-operative values into the ethos through a range of schools models and offers practical advice on how schools can do this, and the support available.
	The Department is working with the Co-operative Group and college to set up a network to support and develop co-operative trust schools, academies and other educational institutions and is providing £25,000 of funding to help establish the new network.

Departmental Correspondence

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families when the Minister of State for Further Education plans to reply to the letters of 7 August 2009 from the Director General of the Alliance against intellectual property theft and the Chief Executive of the Trading Standards Institute on intellectual property.

Kevin Brennan: I responded on 8 December. I apologise for the delay.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what date he last travelled by  (a) bus and  (b) taxi in the course of his official duties.

Iain Wright: The Secretary of State last travelled by taxi in the course of his official duties on 8 December. We do not have any records of travel by bus in the course of official duties, but his last journey by London underground in the course of official duties was on 26 November.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Internet

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many  (a) page hits and  (b) visitors his Department's website received in 2008-09.

Ann McKechin: We do not hold the information requested.

Departmental Internet

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what redesigns of websites held by his Department have taken place since 27 June 2007; what the cost to the public purse was of each redesign; and when each redesign was conducted.

Ann McKechin: The Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate-General jointly tendered for the redevelopment of both their websites in 2008. We went through a competitive tendering process following the principles of Government procurement. The cost for both websites was £12,880 plus VAT.
	The redevelopment of the sites includes a comprehensive in-house content management system which represents considerable value for money and costs savings for both offices, both now and in the future.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

Edward Garnier: To ask the Solicitor-General how much the Crown Prosecution Service in  (a) London and  (b) each of its 42 regional offices spent on expenses for witnesses in cases that were adjourned or abandoned in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Vera Baird: The Crown Prosecution Service does not maintain records of the value of witness expense payments by reference to case outcomes. It is unable to say, therefore, how much it spent on witness expenses in relation to cases which were subsequently adjourned or abandoned.
	The CPS can report on total expenditure on ordinary professional and foreign witness expenses by CPS area for each of the last five financial years, and separately on the proportion of cracked and ineffective trials by CPS Area for each of the last five years.
	Cracked and ineffective trials are cases listed by the court for trial in which witnesses are warned to attend court, but are not required to give evidence because the defendant pleaded guilty, or the prosecution offered no evidence, (cracked trial); or the trial had to be adjourned to another day, (ineffective trial).
	Comparative 42 area and national CPS data showing witness expenses payments and cracked and ineffective trials can be found at tables A, B and C:
	
		
			  Annex A: Witness payments by area 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Avon and Somerset 161,735 154,790 152,826 154,381 151,857 
			 Bedfordshire 62,688 60,767 59,834 60,882 58,944 
			 Cambridgeshire 57,098 91,647 73,968 68,945 76,857 
			 Cheshire 75,923 89,850 116,899 115,003 74,672 
			 Cleveland 51,912 58,785 73,607 65,072 66,873 
			 Cumbria 86,839 94,544 74,918 65,186 88,433 
			 Derbyshire 82,518 96,680 96,556 97,859 96,896 
			 Devon and Cornwall 182,357 179,281 182,240 186,434 181,038 
			 Dorset 81,685 115,535 109,392 93,680 101,403 
			 Durham 54,782 57,663 59,852 49,282 64,122 
			 Dyfed Powys 88,244 53,425 61,911 55,578 68,958 
			 Essex 164,399 178,360 173,793 164,068 162,462 
			 Gloucestershire 35,226 50,948 63,573 65,438 56,492 
			 Greater Manchester 340,489 336,375 309,436 347,801 280,822 
			 Gwent 57,216 75,472 77,198 62,395 67,611 
			 Hampshire  IOW 270,647 355,228 262,519 248,398 231,836 
			 Hertfordshire 99,348 112,582 118,130 130,663 110,828 
			 Humberside 91,940 89,591 99,345 91,262 92,252 
			 Kent 161,322 178,723 188,318 204,977 204,224 
			 Lancashire 171,606 265,853 269,389 238,051 197,133 
			 Leicestershire 81,300 83,409 102,085 107,644 117,610 
			 Lincolnshire 64,004 59,369 75,120 60,090 75,467 
			 Merseyside 225,958 183,951 163,985 136,265 136,983 
			 London 1,289,313 1,195,844 1,155,724 968,402 1,148,358 
			 Norfolk 72,125 70,500 88,715 67,385 70,851 
			 Northamptonshire 64,726 61,874 74,671 64,166 50,550 
			 Northumbria 125,870 125,049 126,764 122,639 141,545 
			 North Wales 77,416 70,965 70,000 75,952 77,100 
			 North Yorkshire 75,433 99,594 107,389 101,672 100,909 
			 Nottinghamshire 87,941 102,373 67,833 72,448 74,949 
			 South Wales 124,533 145,881 175,757 171,414 128,652 
			 South Yorkshire 117,978 118,414 116,617 133,689 129,768 
			 Staffordshire 113,829 115,183 107,580 134,750 122,413 
			 Suffolk 62,700 55,556 71,265 56,938 48,535 
			 Surrey 91,695 95,492 124,889 107,458 111,429 
			 Sussex 238,724 233,338 235,824 236,421 239,283 
			 Thames Valley 185,776 184,214 189,134 217,242 207,176 
			 Warwickshire 20,466 32,222 28,406 27,779 26,370 
			 West Mercia 124,567 145,649 139,319 127,469 117,289 
			 West Midlands 336,274 489,112 315,133 324,829 330,939 
			 West Yorkshire 245,659 228,092 189,708 213,611 230,751 
			 Wiltshire 41,145 43,497 54,600 52,582 47,896 
			 Organised Crime Division 52,777 57,568 35,213 25,144 48,672 
			 Special Crime Division 51,325 111,152 48,122 83,501 55,576 
			 Counter Terrorism Division 23,316 48,683 19,495 34,982 37,269 
			 Fraud Prosecution Division - 427 13,212 49,990 81,550 
			 Total 6,372,823 6,853,508 6,520,265 6,339,817 6,391,600 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Crown court-cracked and ineffective trials 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			   Cracked  %  Ineffective  %  Cracked  %  Ineffective  %  Cracked  %  Ineffective  % 
			 Avon and Somerset 312 35 148 16 116 20 61 10 191 29 110 17 
			 Bedfordshire 226 43 100 19 79 26 29 10 162 38 64 15 
			 Cambridgeshire 125 34 47 13 89 26 35 10 127 32 53 13 
			 Cheshire 184 35 78 15 125 26 46 10 210 35 78 13 
			 Cleveland 504 55 156 17 312 48 103 16 557 58 137 14 
			 Cumbria 108 34 51 16 71 30 28 12 135 43 39 12 
			 Derbyshire 275 45 123 20 151 38 66 17 204 45 46 10 
			 Devon and Cornwall 171 31 61 11 79 20 27 7 122 26 40 9 
			 Dorset 57 22 22 8 38 14 13 5 93 25 17 5 
			 Durham 158 51 38 12 144 48 28 9 203 52 54 14 
			 Dyfed Powys 12 8 2 1 4 3 1 1 25 15 7 4 
			 Essex 349 32 243 22 190 26 63 9 331 38 101 12 
			 Gloucestershire 63 39 16 10 33 23 16 11 53 32 26 16 
			 Greater Manchester 1,867 52 545 15 845 41 219 11 1,283 49 334 13 
			 Gwent 87 28 18 6 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 
			 Hampshire and IOW 436 31 222 16 209 19 111 10 322 31 116 11 
			 Hertfordshire 138 26 77 15 111 22 45 9 133 29 60 13 
			 Humberside 407 58 78 11 267 54 26 5 375 63 39 7 
			 Kent 307 29 193 18 165 20 66 8 284 30 155 16 
			 Lancashire 664 48 254 18 333 38 104 12 609 51 178 15 
			 Leicestershire 236 40 113 19 169 35 56 12 263 46 84 15 
			 Lincolnshire 117 40 39 13 52 26 23 12 60 30 14 7 
			 London 2,790 27 1,737 17 1,407 19 732 10 2,564 29 1,202 13 
			 Merseyside 852 47 245 14 411 35 94 8 800 49 201 12 
			 Norfolk 99 33 38 13 69 28 27 11 108 34 33 10 
			 Northamptonshire 115 39 29 10 62 32 6 3 76 35 9 4 
			 Northumbria 612 55 181 16 392 50 100 13 661 58 185 16 
			 North Wales 68 32 25 12 51 23 14 6 125 40 23 7 
			 North Yorkshire 127 36 65 19 100 33 26 9 141 41 31 9 
			 Nottinghamshire 237 39 86 14 169 35 46 9 247 46 49 9 
			 South Wales 506 43 148 13 243 31 77 10 399 41 130 13 
			 South Yorkshire 625 54 152 13 334 46 71 10 557 60 97 10 
			 Staffordshire 307 50 62 10 146 35 34 8 250 43 64 11 
			 Suffolk 66 25 25 9 31 16 7 4 75 25 21 7 
			 Surrey 95 29 57 17 56 21 27 10 97 27 42 12 
			 Sussex 331 35 125 13 161 23 51 7 361 35 139 13 
			 Thames Valley 244 28 107 12 152 20 80 11 307 31 127 13 
			 Warwickshire 183 66 56 20 74 53 15 11 107 58 33 18 
			 West Mercia 238 45 74 14 171 40 32 8 200 43 51 11 
			 West Midlands 1,544 45 649 19 564 33 138 8 1,080 47 193 8 
			 West Yorkshire 1,325 50 427 16 461 40 113 10 641 50 179 14 
			 Wiltshire 57 36 11 7 23 14 17 10 78 38 20 10 
			 England and Wales 17,224 39 6,923 16 8,659 29 2,873 10 14,616 39 4,581 12 
		
	
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			   Cracked  %  Ineffective  %  Cracked  %  Ineffective  % 
			 Avon and Somerset 211 31 94 14 237 36 96 15 
			 Bedfordshire 140 30 64 14 105 34 29 9 
			 Cambridgeshire 147 35 38 9 204 35 77 13 
			 Cheshire 104 40 31 12 79 37 17 8 
			 Cleveland 532 57 128 14 572 59 111 11 
			 Cumbria 149 56 31 12 133 47 44 16 
			 Derbyshire 205 48 58 14 200 46 52 12 
			 Devon and Cornwall 130 28 39 8 150 33 25 6 
			 Dorset 82 33 14 6 82 33 12 5 
			 Durham 236 64 49 13 203 69 32 11 
			 Dyfed Powys 51 32 8 5 33 35 5 5 
			 Essex 374 40 89 10 278 38 61 8 
			 Gloucestershire 66 38 16 9 63 36 27 15 
			 Greater Manchester 1,274 52 260 11 1,038 52 195 10 
			 Gwent - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 
			 Hampshire and IOW 363 34 110 10 341 36 84 9 
			 Hertfordshire 183 35 90 17 102 30 54 16 
			 Humberside 369 60 52 8 364 65 30 5 
			 Kent 321 32 154 15 180 26 97 14 
			 Lancashire 514 53 143 15 548 55 143 14 
			 Leicestershire 220 46 75 16 196 44 75 17 
			 Lincolnshire 76 36 31 15 80 39 22 11 
			 London 2,916 32 1,264 14 2,655 30 1,347 15 
			 Merseyside 768 51 139 9 668 52 113 9 
			 Norfolk 111 43 16 6 94 43 22 10 
			 Northamptonshire 111 46 11 5 110 51 8 4 
			 Northumbria 743 66 152 13 611 64 112 12 
			 North Wales 99 36 20 7 74 33 11 5 
			 North Yorkshire 151 53 26 9 103 42 39 16 
			 Nottinghamshire 250 46 66 12 195 42 54 12 
			 South Wales 468 41 91 8 518 43 104 9 
			 South Yorkshire 550 60 97 11 512 60 106 12 
			 Staffordshire 239 45 50 9 188 40 41 9 
			 Suffolk 77 30 19 7 68 29 23 10 
			 Surrey 90 27 43 13 80 27 42 14 
			 Sussex 379 39 153 16 357 37 135 14 
			 Thames Valley 318 32 125 13 341 34 153 15 
			 Warwickshire 99 52 13 7 71 42 15 9 
			 West Mercia 183 47 24 6 139 43 19 6 
			 West Midlands 903 45 171 8 717 42 129 8 
			 West Yorkshire 725 49 221 15 785 48 233 14 
			 Wiltshire 61 38 17 11 78 41 16 8 
			 England and Wales 14,988 42 4,292 12 13,552 41 4,010 12 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C: Magistrates courts-cracked and ineffective trials 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			   Cracked  %  Ineffective  %  Cracked  %  Ineffective  %  Cracked  %  Ineffective  % 
			 Avon and Somerset 815 28 476 16 951 31 508 17 870 30 379 13 
			 Bedfordshire 761 37 676 33 790 33 600 25 629 30 432 21 
			 Cambridgeshire 493 36 230 17 576 35 263 16 642 37 260 15 
			 Cheshire 1,061 40 474 18 1,241 40 581 19 1,625 42 630 16 
			 Cleveland 943 39 514 21 821 36 401 17 847 36 450 19 
			 Cumbria 640 41 256 16 645 39 289 17 624 37 281 17 
			 Derbyshire 1,548 38 1,123 27 1,620 37 1,293 29 1,427 37 847 22 
			 Devon and Cornwall 870 29 592 20 789 27 584 20 729 31 398 17 
			 Dorset 466 34 292 21 503 30 355 22 576 31 445 24 
			 Durham 476 31 411 27 532 35 332 22 677 43 275 18 
			 Dyfed Powys 307 28 192 17 227 22 141 14 274 22 157 13 
			 Essex 1,336 35 805 21 1,343 32 928 22 1,400 32 933 21 
			 Gloucestershire 315 37 201 24 387 35 253 23 623 33 511 27 
			 Greater Manchester 5,475 43 2,582 20 5,044 41 2,224 18 4,765 42 1,766 15 
			 Gwent 683 38 432 24 597 32 377 20 616 35 416 24 
			 Hampshire and IOW 2,570 35 1,917 26 1,979 34 1,225 21 1,594 33 874 18 
			 Hertfordshire 1,481 39 922 24 2,022 38 1,285 24 1,692 33 1,170 23 
			 Humberside 1,059 44 464 19 857 41 331 16 876 43 303 15 
			 Kent 1,486 31 1,111 24 1,518 31 1,085 22 1,580 32 1,065 22 
			 Lancashire 2,415 46 1,283 24 2,777 44 1,238 20 3,334 45 1,430 19 
			 Leicestershire 1,424 41 906 26 1,539 43 838 24 1,582 45 728 21 
			 Lincolnshire 630 35 424 24 672 36 410 22 618 33 335 18 
			 London 12,053 32 11,922 32 11,898 34 8,628 25 11,778 36 6,508 20 
			 Merseyside 3,362 42 2,170 27 2,770 43 1,205 19 2,341 47 837 17 
			 Norfolk 508 32 310 19 503 30 276 17 573 30 268 14 
			 Northamptonshire 740 35 443 21 778 38 255 13 938 36 348 13 
			 Northumbria 2,369 38 1,556 25 2,236 36 1,455 24 2,677 42 1,382 22 
			 North Wales 877 37 411 17 908 37 312 13 871 37 327 14 
			 North Yorkshire 599 43 254 18 645 40 306 19 465 35 215 16 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,980 40 1,306 26 1,771 36 1,322 27 1,518 38 969 24 
			 South Wales 2,429 45 1,014 19 2,247 44 772 15 1,755 43 557 13 
			 South Yorkshire 1,114 33 802 24 1,040 30 577 17 1,233 35 534 15 
			 Staffordshire 1,708 40 849 20 1,427 39 655 18 1,469 35 872 21 
			 Suffolk 368 30 184 15 303 27 132 12 256 26 104 10 
			 Surrey 627 30 465 22 604 29 393 19 688 30 452 20 
			 Sussex 1,566 35 1,162 26 1,160 33 637 18 1,493 34 777 18 
			 Thames Valley 1,297 39 669 20 1,859 41 875 19 2,075 35 1,017 17 
			 Warwickshire 102 28 35 10 108 27 38 10 100 29 46 14 
			 West Mercia 1,826 41 1,183 26 1,790 37 1,161 24 1,479 38 641 16 
			 West Midlands 6,339 41 3,790 24 5,059 39 2,827 22 4,980 42 2,388 20 
			 West Yorkshire 3,044 39 2,062 27 2,680 40 1,489 22 2,484 40 1,407 22 
			 Wiltshire 429 32 237 18 326 31 206 20 476 36 290 22 
			 England and Wales 70,591 37 47,107 25 67,542 37 39,062 21 67,249 37 34,024 19 
		
	
	
		
			   2007-08  2008-09 
			   Cracked  %  Ineffective  %  Cracked  %  Ineffective  % 
			 Avon and Somerset 996 32 433 14 873 33 370 14 
			 Bedfordshire 591 28 425 20 627 28 566 25 
			 Cambridgeshire 667 36 242 13 609 39 204 13 
			 Cheshire 1,480 45 327 10 1,348 44 293 10 
			 Cleveland 1,148 42 594 22 1,110 43 514 20 
			 Cumbria 737 41 313 17 684 39 253 14 
			 Derbyshire 1,723 37 1,093 24 1,684 41 876 21 
			 Devon and Cornwall 942 35 443 17 900 36 430 17 
			 Dorset 877 34 688 27 605 27 552 25 
			 Durham 839 47 314 18 696 46 244 16 
			 Dyfed Powys 253 22 116 10 273 28 137 14 
			 Essex 1,530 34 944 21 1,519 34 977 22 
			 Gloucestershire 645 37 486 28 632 40 419 27 
			 Greater Manchester 4,878 42 1,690 15 3,992 38 1,600 15 
			 Gwent 990 39 526 21 644 41 370 24 
			 Hampshire and IOW 2,012 34 1,065 18 1,971 35 1,125 20 
			 Hertfordshire 1,425 32 1,025 23 1,347 32 969 23 
			 Humberside 1,059 49 319 15 1,130 48 326 14 
			 Kent 1,895 35 1,103 20 1,894 39 952 19 
			 Lancashire 3,275 48 1,156 17 3,080 46 1,060 16 
			 Leicestershire 1,755 43 843 21 1,261 42 574 19 
			 Lincolnshire 598 35 319 19 571 36 324 21 
			 London 11,578 36 5,761 18 11,109 35 5,704 18 
			 Merseyside 2,717 50 778 14 2,923 49 874 15 
			 Norfolk 673 33 289 14 529 31 280 16 
			 Northamptonshire 805 37 282 13 658 37 258 14 
			 Northumbria 3,515 46 1,550 20 3,083 42 1,482 20 
			 North Wales 826 39 308 14 786 36 297 14 
			 North Yorkshire 568 38 273 18 638 39 258 16 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,759 35 1,185 24 1,376 34 989 24 
			 South Wales 1,997 45 576 13 2,046 47 651 15 
			 South Yorkshire 1,508 38 719 18 1,772 38 792 17 
			 Staffordshire 1,645 36 938 21 1,237 40 538 17 
			 Suffolk 207 24 77 9 285 29 109 11 
			 Surrey 840 32 489 18 832 32 417 16 
			 Sussex 1,623 34 923 19 1,228 31 889 22 
			 Thames Valley 2,042 31 1,258 19 2,045 34 1,189 20 
			 Warwickshire 129 28 60 13 144 30 71 15 
			 West Mercia 1,627 37 808 18 1,332 34 751 19 
			 West Midlands 5,421 44 2,351 19 5,641 44 2,661 21 
			 West Yorkshire 2,791 41 1,476 22 2,779 40 1,701 25 
			 Wiltshire 564 34 276 17 534 32 381 23 
			 England and Wales 73,150 38 34,841 18 68,427 38 33,427 19 
		
	
	continued

Crown Prosecution Service

Edward Garnier: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases were prosecuted by each of the 42 regional Crown Prosecution Service offices in each of the last five years.

Vera Baird: The following tables show the number of defendants prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service's 42 Areas in the five years ending March 2009. The table also shows the number and proportion of defendants who were convicted, and the number and proportion whose case resulted in an unsuccessful outcome.
	
		
			  CPS Magistrates Court Case Volumes and Outcomes by Area 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			   Convictions  Unsuccessful   Convictions  Unsuccessful  
			   Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total  Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total 
			 42 Areas 928,195 80.6 223,709 19.4 1,151,904 881,861 82.5 186,884 17.5 1,068,745 
			 P01 - Avon  Somerset 24,405 80.1 6,054 19.9 30,459 23,163 82.2 5,021 17.8 28,184 
			 P02 - Bedfordshire 8,755 74.5 2,995 25.5 11,750 8,407 77.9 2,381 22.1 10,788 
			 P03 - Cambridgeshire 8,100 85.6 1,360 14.4 9,460 9,868 84.6 1,792 15.4 11,660 
			 P04 - Cheshire 14,617 87.2 2,150 12.8 16,767 14,317 86.2 2,297 13.8 16,614 
			 P06 - Cleveland 13,783 80.4 3,367 19.6 17,150 10,015 84.3 1,864 15.7 11,879 
			 P07 - Cumbria 10,344 85.7 1,730 14.3 12,074 11,963 86.5 1,870 13.5 13,833 
			 P08 - Derbyshire 15,166 85.9 2,489 14.1 17,655 12,552 81.2 2,914 18.8 15,466 
			 P09 - Devon  Cornwall 19,345 84.5 3,547 15.5 22,892 18,851 83.2 3,815 16.8 22,666 
			 P10 - Dorset 10,262 82.3 2,212 17.7 12,474 10,502 85.1 1,843 14.9 12,345 
			 P12 - Dyfed Powys 8,835 83.8 1,703 16.2 10,538 9,802 84.5 1,793 15.5 11,595 
			 P13 - Essex 20,209 83.3 4,065 16.7 24,274 21,329 82.2 4,629 17.8 25,958 
			 P14 - Gloucestershire 6,726 80.1 1,667 19.9 8,393 6,928 80.2 1,706 19.8 8,634 
			 P15 - Greater Manchester 57,582 82.0 12,621 18.0 70,203 59,184 83.8 11,411 16.2 70,595 
			 P16 - Gwent 12,573 80.0 3,153 20.0 15,726 10,230 85.3 1,765 14.7 11,995 
			 P17 - Hampshire 30,021 83.2 6,049 16.8 36,070 25,606 85.0 4,527 15.0 30,133 
			 P18 - Hertfordshire 14,375 80.8 3,412 19.2 17,787 15,182 80.0 3,803 20.0 18,985 
			 P19 - Humberside 17,767 87.1 2,627 12.9 20,394 14,711 88.4 1,921 11.6 16,632 
			 P20 - Kent 29,646 85.5 5,043 14.5 34,689 23,595 86.6 3,649 13.4 27,244 
			 P21 - Lancashire 25,449 83.6 5,008 16.4 30,457 29,767 83.8 5,737 16.2 35,504 
			 P22 - Leicestershire 17,481 81.4 4,001 18.6 21,482 14,136 78.2 3,942 21.8 18,078 
			 P23 - Lincolnshire 16,117 86.6 2,486 13.4 18,603 13,277 86.1 2,137 13.9 15,414 
			 P25 - London 118,174 74.1 41,313 25.9 159,487 112,552 79.0 29,897 21.0 142,449 
			 P24 - Merseyside 28,919 80.1 7,175 19.9 36,094 22,239 81.4 5,091 18.6 27,330 
			 P24 - Merseyside 11,862 83.0 2,421 17.0 14,283 11,681 84.1 2,203 15.9 13,884 
			 P27 - Northamptonshire 11,259 85.4 1,919 14.6 13,178 9,083 78.3 2,513 21.7 11,596 
			 P28 - Northumbria 34,457 84.6 6,290 15.4 40,747 36,332 87.0 5,449 13.0 41,781 
			 P29 - North Wales 13,577 86.2 2,175 13.8 15,752 12,880 87.9 1,770 12.1 14,650 
			 P30 - North Yorkshire 9,551 82.5 2,027 17.5 11,578 11,152 82.7 2,334 17.3 13,486 
			 P31 - Nottinghamshire 19,732 84.5 3,607 15.5 23,339 19,381 83.8 3,757 16.2 23,138 
			 P32 - South Wales 34,846 78.7 9,434 21.3 44,280 28,102 78.6 7,658 21.4 35,760 
			 P33 - South Yorkshire 24,770 82.8 5,134 17.2 29,904 23,595 84.1 4,472 15.9 28,067 
			 P34 - Staffordshire 20,472 78.0 5,762 22.0 26,234 19,350 81.5 4,395 18.5 23,745 
			 P35 - Suffolk 14,186 83.5 2,807 16.5 16,993 14,166 84.3 2,647 15.7 16,813 
			 P36 - Surrey 8,835 79.4 2,298 20.6 11,133 8,382 82.2 1,810 17.8 10,192 
			 P37 - Sussex 17,035 80.6 4,112 19.4 21,147 18,092 82.5 3,830 17.5 21,922 
			 P38 - Thames Valley 30,802 74.6 10,496 25.4 41,298 31,205 78.1 8,749 21.9 39,954 
			 P39 - Warwickshire 8,066 90.4 852 9.6 8,918 7,266 91.4 682 8.6 7,948 
			 P40 - West Mercia 19,888 81.5 4,517 18.5 24,405 20,323 82.0 4,467 18.0 24,790 
			 P41 - West Midlands 55,537 77.3 16,295 22.7 71,832 49,429 83.3 9,905 16.7 59,334 
			 P42 - West Yorkshire 46,015 77.0 13,728 23.0 59,743 43,132 80.5 10,440 19.5 53,572 
			 P43 - Wiltshire 9,256 82.3 1,992 17.7 11,248 10,756 80.9 2,536 19.1 13,292 
		
	
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			   Convictions  Unsuccessful   Convictions  Unsuccessful  
			   Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total  Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total 
			 42 Areas 831,093 84.1 156,939 15.9 988,032 828,535 85.7 138,130 14.3 966,665 
			 P01 - Avon and Somerset 22,716 82.9 4,685 17.1 27,401 21,402 85.2 3,705 14.8 25,107 
			 P02 - Bedfordshire 7,904 83.5 1,562 16.5 9,466 8,048 86.7 1,233 13.3 9,281 
			 P03 - Cambridgeshire 10,062 87.5 1,438 12.5 11,500 9,321 88.3 1,239 11.7 10,560 
			 P04 - Cheshire 15,360 86.6 2,383 13.4 17,743 18,276 88.4 2,405 11.6 20,681 
			 P06 - Cleveland 10,456 86.7 1,603 13.3 12,059 11,037 87.2 1,625 12.8 12,662 
			 P07 - Cumbria 11,382 88.8 1,438 11.2 12,820 11,148 89.2 1,347 10.8 12,495 
			 P08 - Derbyshire 13,174 85.1 2,304 14.9 15,478 13,561 86.6 2,094 13.4 15,655 
			 P09 - Devon  Cornwall 17,689 85.8 2,916 14.2 20,605 18,349 86.5 2,862 13.5 21,211 
			 P10 - Dorset 9,676 83.8 1,866 16.2 11,542 9,041 80.7 2,163 19.3 11,204 
			 P12 - Dyfed Powys 8,468 83.8 1,633 16.2 10,101 8,562 85.0 1,508 15.0 10,070 
			 P13 - Essex 19,255 84.9 3,426 15.1 22,681 21,253 86.4 3,354 13.6 24,607 
			 P14 - Gloucestershire 6,664 83.5 1,321 16.5 7,985 6,686 84.5 1,230 15.5 7,916 
			 P15 - Greater Manchester 55,609 84.8 10,005 15.2 65,614 51,130 86.6 7,930 13.4 59,060 
			 P16 - Gwent 11,190 84.9 1,988 15.1 13,178 10,275 84.4 1,898 15.6 12,173 
			 P17 - Hampshire 23,350 85.8 3,877 14.2 27,227 25,568 86.1 4,134 13.9 29,702 
			 P18 - Hertfordshire 14,316 83.0 2,931 17.0 17,247 13,757 84.9 2,451 15.1 16,208 
			 P19 - Humberside 13,184 89.4 1,565 10.6 14,749 14,286 89.9 1,608 10.1 15,894 
			 P20 - Kent 22,780 87.1 3,385 12.9 26,165 22,061 87.3 3,211 12.7 25,272 
			 P21 - Lancashire 30,331 83.7 5,902 16.3 36,233 29,087 86.6 4,503 13.4 33,590 
			 P22 - Leicestershire 13,913 80.4 3,381 19.6 17,294 14,511 85.0 2,555 15.0 17,066 
			 P23 - Lincolnshire 12,268 88.9 1,530 11.1 13,798 11,488 90.9 1,156 9.1 12,644 
			 P25 - London 106,704 81.9 23,656 18.1 130,360 107,444 83.9 20,647 16.1 128,091 
			 P24 - Merseyside 21,210 83.1 4,311 16.9 25,521 26,992 85.1 4,708 14.9 31,700 
			 P24 - Merseyside 11,965 86.1 1,934 13.9 13,899 12,137 87.4 1,751 12.6 13,888 
			 P27 - Northamptonshire 9,404 81.9 2,083 18.1 11,487 9,651 86.3 1,531 13.7 11,182 
			 P28 - Northumbria 34,624 85.7 5,800 14.3 40,424 35,404 85.3 6,077 14.7 41,481 
			 P29 - North Wales 12,932 87.1 1,920 12.9 14,852 11,913 87.9 1,638 12.1 13,551 
			 P30 - North Yorkshire 9,039 84.4 1,672 15.6 10,711 9,623 86.8 1,462 13.2 11,085 
			 P31 - Nottinghamshire 17,279 83.4 3,435 16.6 20,714 16,925 83.2 3,413 16.8 20,338 
			 P32 - South Wales 23,195 81.3 5,350 18.7 28,545 21,211 82.3 4,573 17.7 25,784 
			 P33 - South Yorkshire 21,287 85.5 3,620 14.5 24,907 21,144 86.8 3,226 13.2 24,370 
			 P34 - Staffordshire 17,563 84.9 3,123 15.1 20,686 18,494 86.3 2,944 13.7 21,438 
			 P35 - Suffolk 9,586 86.9 1,444 13.1 11,030 9,329 89.8 1,062 10.2 10,391 
			 P36 - Surrey 6,759 83.1 1,378 16.9 8,137 10,930 84.4 2,014 15.6 12,944 
			 P37 - Sussex 18,677 83.5 3,682 16.5 22,359 17,849 84.1 3,380 15.9 21,229 
			 P38 - Thames Valley 30,297 78.9 8,078 21.1 38,375 25,889 81.8 5,759 18.2 31,648 
			 P39 - Warwickshire 6,730 92.1 576 7.9 7,306 6,574 92.4 539 7.6 7,113 
			 P40 - West Mercia 19,303 84.0 3,668 16.0 22,971 18,814 86.1 3,049 13.9 21,863 
			 P41 - West Midlands 46,796 83.5 9,263 16.5 56,059 45,772 86.0 7,458 14.0 53,230 
			 P42 - West Yorkshire 39,079 83.8 7,558 16.2 46,637 36,465 86.4 5,719 13.6 42,184 
			 P43 - Wiltshire 9,986 84.9 1,778 15.1 11,764 7,601 83.2 1,530 16.8 9,131 
		
	
	
		
			   2008-09 
			   Convictions  Unsuccessful  
			   Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total 
			 42 Areas 810,605 87.3 118,103 12.7 928,708 
			 P01 - Avon and Somerset 20,535 88.4 2,686 11.6 23,221 
			 P02 - Bedfordshire 7,651 87.4 1,101 12.6 8,752 
			 P03 - Cambridgeshire 9,392 89.7 1,078 10.3 10,470 
			 P04 - Cheshire 17,354 88.9 2,170 11.1 19,524 
			 P06 - Cleveland 11,404 87.4 1,640 12.6 13,044 
			 P07 - Cumbria 9,545 88.2 1,273 11.8 10,818 
			 P08 - Derbyshire 12,707 86.4 1,992 13.6 14,699 
			 P09 - Devon and Cornwall 18,427 88.0 2,511 12.0 20,938 
			 P10 - Dorset 7,749 84.0 1,473 16.0 9,222 - 
			 P11 - Durham 7,961 89.0 984 11.0 8,945 
			 P12 - Dyfed Powys 7,757 85.7 1,294 14.3 9,051 
			 P13 - Essex 21,465 86.9 3,249 13.1 24,714 
			 P14 - Gloucestershire 6,967 87.5 998 12.5 7,965 
			 P15 - Greater Manchester 49,513 88.8 6,263 11.2 55,776 
			 P16 - Gwent 8,261 86.7 1,272 13.3 9,533 
			 P17 - Hampshire 26,951 87.3 3,937 12.7 30,888 
			 P18 - Hertfordshire 13,871 85.0 2,452 15.0 16,323 
			 P19 - Humberside 14,248 91.4 1,336 8.6 15,584 
			 P20 - Kent 20,700 88.5 2,682 11.5 23,382 
			 P21 - Lancashire 30,023 87.8 4,153 12.2 34,176 
			 P22 - Leicestershire 12,708 86.1 2,058 13.9 14,766 
			 P23 - Lincolnshire 11,185 90.5 1,168 9.5 12,353 
			 P25 - London 115,366 86.0 18,760 14.0 134,126 
			 P24 - Merseyside 26,813 85.8 4,439 14.2 31,252 
			 P24 - Merseyside 11,137 89.6 1,295 10.4 12,432 
			 P27 - Northamptonshire 8,905 88.5 1,158 11.5 10,063 
			 P28 - Northumbria 29,328 87.0 4,387 13.0 33,715 
			 P29 - North Wales 11,653 89.4 1,380 10.6 13,033 
			 P30 - North Yorkshire 10,536 89.0 1,307 11.0 11,843 
			 P31 - Nottinghamshire 18,237 88.9 2,283 11.1 20,520 
			 P32 - South Wales 22,072 84.6 4,025 15.4 26,097 
			 P33 - South Yorkshire 20,648 87.0 3,079 13.0 23,727 
			 P34 - Staffordshire 14,917 87.4 2,147 12.6 17,064 
			 P35 - Suffolk 11,121 90.3 1,201 9.7 12,322 
			 P36 - Surrey 9,740 86.6 1,510 13.4 11,250 
			 P37 - Sussex 16,586 86.6 2,565 13.4 19,151 
			 P38 - Thames Valley 25,546 85.8 4,245 14.2 29,791 
			 P39 - Warwickshire 6,008 93.0 451 7.0 6,459 
			 P40 - West Mercia 18,048 89.3 2,170 10.7 20,218 
			 P41 - West Midlands 43,718 86.7 6,688 13.3 50,406 
			 P42 - West Yorkshire 34,669 85.3 5,987 14.7 40,656 
			 P43 - Wiltshire 9,183 88.0 1,256 12.0 10,439 
		
	
	
		
			  CPS  Crown s Court Case Volumes and Outcomes by Area 2004-05 to 2008-09 
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			   Convictions  Unsuccessful outcomes   Convictions  Unsuccessful outcomes  
			   Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total  Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total 
			 42 Areas 68,281 75.1 2,609 24.9 90,890 69,832 76.4 21,526 23.6 91,358 
			 P01 - Avon and Somerset 1,445 74.5 495 25.5 1,940 1,511 77.3 443 22.7 1,954 
			 P02 - Bedfordshire 556 69.7 242 30.3 798 598 71.6 237 28.4 835 
			 P03 - Cambridgeshire 682 80.2 168 19.8 850 756 74.0 266 26.0 1,022 
			 P04 - Cheshire 955 83.8 185 16.2 1,140 1,192 81.0 279 19.0 1,471 
			 P06 - Cleveland 1,041 76.5 319 23.5 1,360 1,075 77.4 314 22.6 1,389 
			 P07 - Cumbria 645 75.2 213 24.8 858 577 78.5 158 21.5 735 
			 P08 - Derbyshire 1,374 80.6 330 19.4 1,704 1,422 80.7 340 19.3 1,762 
			 P09 - Devon and Cornwall 1,315 82.4 280 17.6 1,595 1,297 80.8 308 19.2 1,605 
			 P10 - Dorset 462 77.8 132 22.2 594 563 79.4 146 20.6 709 
			 P11 - Durham 751 84.1 142 15.9 893 970 80.2 239 19.8 1,209 
			 P12 - Dyfed Powys 297 68.8 135 31.3 432 361 76.0 114 24.0 475 
			 P13 - Essex 1,500 71.7 591 28.3 2,091 1,526 72.1 590 27.9 2,116 
			 P14 - Gloucestershire 444 77.5 129 22.5 573 551 77.4 161 22.6 712 
			 P15 - Greater Manchester 5,702 76.3 1,770 23.7 7,472 5,755 81.4 1,317 18.6 7,072 
			 P16 - Gwent 1,015 78.7 274 21.3 1,289 713 75.7 229 24.3 942 
			 P17 - Hampshire 1,920 71.9 749 28.1 2,669 2,024 73.0 750 27.0 2,774 
			 P18 - Hertfordshire 836 71.5 333 28.5 1,169 979 72.4 374 27.6 1,353 
			 P19 - Humberside 1,360 85.1 238 14.9 1,598 1,252 82.2 272 17.8 1,524 
			 P20 - Kent 1,295 73.7 461 26.3 1,756 1,246 74.5 427 25.5 1,673 
			 P21 - Lancashire 2,140 77.8 610 22.2 2,750 2,341 79.0 621 21.0 2,962 
			 P22 - Leicestershire 1,266 77.6 365 22.4 1,631 1,295 72.0 503 28.0 1,798 
			 P23 - Lincolnshire 567 76.5 174 23.5 741 508 77.6 147 22.4 655 
			 P25 - London 10,933 66.5 5,519 33.5 16,452 11,817 68.9 5,346 31.1 17,163 
			 P24 - Merseyside 2,294 72.4 875 27.6 3,169 2,531 76.5 777 23.5 3,308 
			 P26 - Norfolk 812 85.5 138 14.5 950 883 82.2 191 17.8 1,074 
			 P27 - Northamptonshire 699 78.7 189 21.3 888 665 79.5 172 20.5 837 
			 P28 - Northumbria 1,872 80.3 459 19.7 2,331 2,114 80.9 498 19.1 2,612 
			 P29 - North Wales 573 83.4 114 16.6 687 621 77.8 177 22.2 798 
			 P30 - North Yorkshire 680 78.6 185 21.4 865 823 78.1 231 21.9 1,054 
			 P31 - Nottinghamshire 1,486 80.7 355 19.3 1,841 1,663 79.6 426 20.4 2,089 
			 P32 - South Wales 2,353 79.1 620 20.9 2,973 2,057 80.7 493 19.3 2,550 
			 P33 - South Yorkshire 2,117 83.7 411 16.3 2,528 2,086 85.6 350 14.4 2,436 
			 P34 - Staffordshire 1,413 77.9 401 22.1 1,814 1,302 77.9 370 22.1 1,672 
			 P35 - Suffolk 608 79.8 154 20.2 762 494 75.9 157 24.1 651 
			 P36 - Surrey 653 72.6 247 27.4 900 643 75.9 204 24.1 847 
			 P37 - Sussex 1,360 73.0 502 27.0 1,862 1,355 73.5 489 26.5 1,844 
			 P38 - Thames Valley 1,621 77.7 465 22.3 2,086 1,803 77.5 522 22.5 2,325 
			 P39 - Warwickshire 278 89.1 34 10.9 312 311 87.9 43 12.1 354 
			 P40 - West Mercia 1,190 79.3 311 20.7 1,501 1,464 82.2 316 17.8 1,780 
			 P41 - West Midlands 5,653 72.8 2,113 27.2 7,766 4,920 76.6 1,507 23.4 6,427 
			 P42 - West Yorkshire 3,753 78.0 1,061 22.0 4,814 3,354 79.4 870 20.6 4,224 
			 P43 - Wiltshire 365 75.1 121 24.9 486 414 73.1 152 26.9 566 
		
	
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08 
			   Convictions  Unsuccessful outcomes   Convictions  Unsuccessful outcomes  
			   Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total  Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total 
			 42 Areas 69,549 77.0 20,720 23.0 90,269 77,428 79.4 20,101 20.6 97,529 
			 P01 - Avon and Somerset 1,311 74.2 457 25.8 1,768 1,447 79.5 374 20.5 1,821 
			 P02 - Bedfordshire 638 75.2 210 24.8 848 657 79.5 169 20.5 826 
			 P03 - Cambridgeshire 773 77.7 222 22.3 995 793 79.1 210 20.9 1,003 
			 P04 - Cheshire 1,226 80.3 301 19.7 1,527 1,254 84.1 237 15.9 1,491 
			 P06 - Cleveland 1,082 74.1 379 25.9 1,461 1,151 80.9 272 19.1 1,423 
			 P07 - Cumbria 561 75.3 184 24.7 745 709 81.6 160 18.4 869 
			 P08 - Derbyshire 1,158 83.3 232 16.7 1,390 1,146 82.0 251 18.0 1,397 
			 P09 - Devon and Cornwall 1,071 78.7 290 21.3 1,361 1,163 81.2 269 18.8 1,432 
			 P10 - Dorset 612 75.3 201 24.7 813 593 80.8 141 19.2 734 
			 P11 - Durham 1,019 81.7 229 18.3 1,248 1,188 83.8 230 16.2 1,418 
			 P12 - Dyfed Powys 357 78.3 99 21.7 456 374 82.7 78 17.3 452 
			 P13 - Essex 1,585 74.9 530 25.1 2,115 1,869 78.0 526 22.0 2,395 
			 P14 - Gloucestershire 485 80.4 118 19.6 603 593 82.8 123 17.2 716 
			 P15 - Greater Manchester 5,588 80.3 1,372 19.7 6,960 6,092 80.5 1,479 19.5 7,571 
			 P16 - Gwent 784 77.5 227 22.5 1,011 721 79.2 189 20.8 910 
			 P17 - Hampshire 1,978 75.1 657 24.9 2,635 2,195 76.9 661 23.1 2,856 
			 P18 - Hertfordshire 926 71.8 363 28.2 1,289 1,181 76.8 357 23.2 1,538 
			 P19 - Humberside 1,430 87.1 212 12.9 1,642 1,502 85.8 248 14.2 1,750 
			 P20 - Kent 1,491 77.5 432 22.5 1,923 1,988 80.5 481 19.5 2,469 
			 P21 - Lancashire 2,386 78.1 671 21.9 3,057 2,779 82.2 603 17.8 3,382 
			 P22 - Leicestershire 1,239 74.6 421 25.4 1,660 1,146 77.3 337 22.7 1,483 
			 P23 - Lincolnshire 499 79.0 133 21.0 632 513 82.1 112 17.9 625 
			 P25 - London 12,167 69.6 5,317 30.4 17,484 14,656 72.5 5,558 27.5 20,214 
			 P24 - Merseyside 2,306 76.5 707 23.5 3,013 2,422 77.8 693 22.2 3,115 
			 P26 - Norfolk 1,047 86.5 163 13.5 1,210 1,061 89.2 128 10.8 1,189 
			 P27 - Northamptonshire 617 85.2 107 14.8 724 759 89.0 94 11.0 853 
			 P28 - Northumbria 2,032 79.8 513 20.2 2,545 2,466 80.9 584 19.1 3,050 
			 P29 - North Wales 722 82.3 155 17.7 877 815 87.4 117 12.6 932 
			 P30 - North Yorkshire 842 79.2 221 20.8 1,063 764 79.4 198 20.6 962 
			 P31 - Nottinghamshire 1,493 80.0 373 20.0 1,866 1,574 80.3 387 19.7 1,961 
			 P32 - South Wales 1,849 79.0 491 21.0 2,340 2,193 80.4 536 19.6 2,729 
			 P33 - South Yorkshire 2,151 87.6 304 12.4 2,455 2,282 87.0 340 13.0 2,622 
			 P34 - Staffordshire 1,352 83.1 275 16.9 1,627 1,496 83.5 296 16.5 1,792 
			 P35 - Suffolk 588 74.0 207 26.0 795 616 83.8 119 16.2 735 
			 P36 - Surrey 645 76.1 203 23.9 848 833 75.5 270 24.5 1,103 
			 P37 - Sussex 1,715 75.3 562 24.7 2,277 1,896 79.1 501 20.9 2,397 
			 P38 - Thames Valley 1,777 76.2 556 23.8 2,333 1,909 79.5 492 20.5 2,401 
			 P39 - Warwickshire 347 89.9 39 10.1 386 359 89.5 42 10.5 401 
			 P40 - West Mercia 1,319 78.9 353 21.1 1,672 1,236 84.3 230 15.7 1,466 
			 P41 - West Midlands 5,276 77.4 1,543 22.6 6,819 5,389 80.9 1,274 19.1 6,663 
			 P42 - West Yorkshire 2,668 82.8 553 17.2 3,221 3,225 83.5 636 16.5 3,861 
			 P43 - Wiltshire 437 76.0 138 24.0 575 423 81.0 99 19.0 522 
		
	
	
		
			   2008-09 
			   Convictions  Unsuccessful  outcomes  
			   Vol.  %  Vol.  %  Total 
			 42 Areas 84,000 80.9 19,890 19.1 103,890 
			 P01 - Avon and Somerset 1,655 81.4 378 18.6 2,033 
			 P02 - Bedfordshire 813 83.4 162 16.6 975 
			 P03 - Cambridgeshire 944 81.6 213 18.4 1,157 
			 P04 - Cheshire 1,348 82.0 295 18.0 1,643 
			 P06 - Cleveland 1,443 80.5 349 19.5 1,792 
			 P07 - Cumbria 838 81.9 185 18.1 1,023 
			 P08 - Derbyshire 1,266 81.3 291 18.7 1,557 
			 P09 - Devon and Cornwall 1,354 78.8 364 21.2 1,718 
			 P10 - Dorset 634 85.1 111 14.9 745 
			 P11 - Durham 1,268 86.3 201 13.7 1,469 
			 P12 - Dyfed Powys 414 82.1 90 17.9 504 
			 P13 - Essex 1,966 80.1 489 19.9 2,455 
			 P14 - Gloucestershire 708 81.9 156 18.1 864 
			 P15 - Greater Manchester 5,977 84.1 1,130 15.9 7,107 
			 P16 - Gwent 758 76.2 237 23.8 995 
			 P17 - Hampshire 2,268 75.9 722 24.1 2,990 
			 P18 - Hertfordshire 1,097 79.8 278 20.2 1,375 
			 P19 - Humberside 1,758 88.3 233 11.7 1,991 
			 P20 - Kent 1,956 84.7 353 15.3 2,309 
			 P21 - Lancashire 3,087 83.2 625 16.8 3,712 
			 P22 - Leicestershire 1,157 82.6 244 17.4 1,401 
			 P23 - Lincolnshire 666 88.4 87 11.6 753 
			 P25 - London 15,529 73.2 5,688 26.8 21,217 
			 P24 - Merseyside 2,538 81.2 587 18.8 3,125 
			 P26 - Norfolk 1,094 86.8 166 13.2 1,260 
			 P27 - Northamptonshire 890 87.9 122 12.1 1,012 
			 P28 - Northumbria 2,528 82.7 527 17.3 3,055 
			 P29 - North Wales 812 86.8 123 13.2 935 
			 P30 - North Yorkshire 863 80.5 209 19.5 1,072 
			 P31 - Nottinghamshire 1,822 84.9 325 15.1 2,147 
			 P32 - South Wales 2,621 82.2 567 17.8 3,188 
			 P33 - South Yorkshire 2,637 87.6 374 12.4 3,011 
			 P34 - Staffordshire 1,682 85.4 287 14.6 1,969 
			 P35 - Suffolk 702 83.7 137 16.3 839 
			 P36 - Surrey 843 77.6 243 22.4 1,086 
			 P37 - Sussex 2,055 81.9 454 18.1 2,509 
			 P38 - Thames Valley 2,383 79.2 624 20.8 3,007 
			 P39 - Warwickshire 386 89.1 47 10.9 433 
			 P40 - West Mercia 1,227 86.5 192 13.5 1,419 
			 P41 - West Midlands 5,351 82.1 1,163 17.9 6,514 
			 P42 - West Yorkshire 4,115 84.8 737 15.2 4,852 
			 P43 - Wiltshire 547 81.4 125 18.6 672

Crown Prosecution Service

Edward Garnier: To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases were discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service at  (a) committal and  (b) a later stage for reasons of (i) a lack of preparation and (ii) delay in each of the last five years; and how many cases were dismissed by (A) magistrates courts and (B) Crown courts for those reasons in each of those five years.

Vera Baird: Cases are rarely discontinued at committal for reasons of lack of preparation or delay. If a committal is not ready, the CPS tends to seek an adjournment to enable the file preparation to be completed. If the adjournment is not granted, the CPS will have to offer no evidence and the committal is 'discharged'.
	Table A shows all reasons for which cases were discharged at committal during the four years for which data available. Each applicable reason is also expressed as a proportion of all completed cases in magistrates courts. Table B shows the reasons for which case were dropped in the Crown court following committal for trial, both by volume and as a proportion of completed Crown court cases.
	No comparable analysis is maintained of the reasons why cases result in dismissal by the magistrates or acquittal by the jury, as these outcomes are the decision of the court rather than of the prosecution.
	Proceedings for an offence that has been discharged at committal because the prosecution is unable to proceed may be re-instituted. After a committal has been discharged, the prosecutor will liaise with the police to consider whether the proceedings can be re-instituted.
	
		
			  Table A: Reasons for discharged committals 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			   Vol  %  Vol  %  Vol  %  Vol  % 
			  Total Evidential Reasons 1,205 0.1 1,021 0.1 855 0.1 858 0.1 
			 E1 Inadmissible evidence-Breach of PACE 4 0.0 6 0.0 2 0.0 0 0.0 
			 E2 Inadmissible evidence-other than Breach of PACE 20 0.0 15 0.0 1 0.0 6 0.0 
			 E3 Unreliable confession 0 0.0 1 0.0 1 0.0 0 0.0 
			 E4 Conflict of evidence 57 0.0 81 0.0 88 0.0 72 0.0 
			 E5 Essential medical evidence missing 43 0.0 32 0.0 22 0.0 29 0.0 
			 E6 Essential forensic evidence missing 213 0.0 198 0.0 224 0.0 192 0.0 
			 E7 Essential legal element missing 704 0.1 563 0.1 367 0.0 433 0.0 
			 E8 Unreliable witness or witnesses 36 0.0 26 0.0 29 0.0 15 0.0 
			 E9 Key victim does not support case 31 0.0 25 0.0 35 0.0 35 0.0 
			 E10 Key witness does not support case 7 0.0 4 0.0 3 0.0 15 0.0 
			 E11 Unreliable/lack of identification 90 0.0 70 0.0 83 0.0 61 0.0 
			  
			  Total Public Interest Reasons 60 0.0 63 0.0 82 0.0 62 0.0 
			 P12 Effect on victim's physical or mental health 0 0.0 1 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.0 
			 P13 Suspect/Defendant elderly or in significant ill health 1 0.0 2 0.0 7 0.0 8 0.0 
			 P14 Loss or harm minor and single incident 4 0.0 2 0.0 1 0.0 1 0.0 
			 P15 Loss or harm put right 1 0.0 1 0.0 5 0.0 0 0.0 
			 P16 Long delay between offence/charge or trial 8 0.0 6 0.0 10 0.0 9 0.0 
			 P17 Very small or nominal penalty 6 0.0 2 0.0 6 0.0 5 0.0 
			 P18 Other indictment/sentence 26 0.0 36 0.0 45 0.0 26 0.0 
			 P19 Informer or other public interest immunity issues 1 0.0 1 0.0 3 0.0 1 0.0 
			 P20 Caution more suitable 10 0.0 11 0.0 4 0.0 10 0.0 
			 P21 Youth of offender 0 0.0 1 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 
			 P36 Inappropriate to compel victim 2 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 
			 P37 Inappropriate to compel witness 1 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.0 1 0.0 
			  
			  Total Prosecution Unable to Proceed Reasons 1,203 0.1 1,159 0.1 1,246 0.1 1,044 0.1 
			 U22 File not received from police-adjournment refused 693 0.1 580 0.1 616 0.1 556 0.1 
			 U23 CPS not ready-adjournment refused 471 0.0 541 0.1 583 0.1 467 0.1 
			 U24 Offence taken into consideration 6 0.0 1 0.0 3 0.0 2 0.0 
			 U25 Victim refuses to give evidence or retracts 27 0.0 32 0.0 43 0.0 15 0.0 
			 U26 Other witness refuses to give evidence or retracts 5 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.0 
			 U27 Victim fails to attend unexpectedly 0 0.0 1 0.0 0 0.0 2 0.0 
			 U29 Police witness fails to attend unexpectedly 0 0.0 3 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 
			 U30 Victim intimidation 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.0 
			 U32 Documents produced at court 1 0.0 1 0.0 1 0.0 0 0.0 
			  
			  Total Other Reasons 154 0.0 82 0.0 47 0.0 20 0.0 
			 O33 Bind over acceptable 10 0.0 6 0.0 3 0.0 3 0.0 
			 O34 Acquittal after trial 20 0.0 19 0.0 21 0.0 6 0.0 
			 O35 Other 124 0.0 57 0.0 23 0.0 11 0.0 
			  
			  Total discharged committals 2,622 0.2 2,325 0.2 2,230 0.2 1,984 0.2 
			  
			  Total completed magistrates court cases 1,068,745 - 988,032 - 966,665 - 928,708 - 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Reasons for prosecutions dropped in the Crown court 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			   Vol  %  Vol  %  Vol  %  Vol  % 
			  Total Evidential Reasons 6,559 7.2 6,712 7.4 7,297 7.5 7,489 7.2 
			 E1 Inadmissible evidence-Breach of PACE 58 0.1 43 0.0 61 0.1 40 0.0 
			 E2 Inadmissible evidence-other than Breach of PACE 140 0.2 61 0.1 72 0.1 51 0.0 
			 E3 Unreliable confession 23 0.0 11 0.0 28 0.0 13 0.0 
			 E4 Conflict of evidence 1,009 1.1 1,136 1.3 1,279 1.3 1,421 1.4 
			 E5 Essential medical evidence missing 61 0.1 41 0.0 53 0.1 44 0.0 
			 E6 Essential forensic evidence missing 224 0.2 197 0.2 287 0.3 276 0.3 
			 E7 Essential legal element missing 1,977 2.2 2,236 2.5 2,403 2.5 2,397 2.3 
			 E8 Unreliable witness or witnesses 1,120 1.2 1,158 1.3 1,048 1.1 1,052 1.0 
			 E9 Key victim does not support case 990 1.1 1,048 1.2 1,126 1.2 1,226 1.2 
			 E10 Key witness does not support case 275 0.3 290 0.3 292 0.3 317 0.3 
			 E11 Unreliable/lack of identification 682 0.7 491 0.5 648 0.7 652 0.6 
			  
			  Total Public Interest Reasons 1,539 1.7 1,538 1.7 1,795 1.8 1,721 1.7 
			 P12 Effect on victim's physical or mental health 137 0.1 112 0.1 119 0.1 102 0.1 
			 P13 Suspect/Defendant elderly or in significant ill health 175 0.2 177 0.2 202 0.2 199 0.2 
			 P14 Loss or harm minor and single incident 14 0.0 32 0.0 22 0.0 31 0.0 
			 P15 Loss or harm put right 32 0.0 42 0.0 45 0.0 40 0.0 
			 P16 Long delay between offence/charge or trial 80 0.1 88 0.1 91 0.1 90 0.1 
			 P17 Very small or nominal penalty 61 0.1 75 0.1 99 0.1 103 0.1 
			 P18 Other indictment/sentence 753 0.8 769 0.9 904 0.9 885 0.9 
			 P19 Informer or other public interest immunity issues 157 0.2 107 0.1 113 0.1 89 0.1 
			 P20 Caution more suitable 78 0.1 78 0.1 93 0.1 96 0.1 
			 P21 Youth of offender 9 0.0 2 0.0 7 0.0 9 0.0 
			 P36 Inappropriate to compel victim 35 0.0 38 0.0 72 0.1 50 0.0 
			 P37 Inappropriate to compel witness 8 0.0 18 0.0 28 0.0 27 0.0 
			  
			  Total Prosecution Unable to Proceed Reasons 2,922 3.2 2,785 3.1 2,318 2.4 2,171 2.1 
			 U22 File not received from police-adjournment refused 54 0.1 40 0.0 25 0.0 21 0.0 
			 U23 CPS not ready-adjournment refused 50 0.1 47 0.1 38 0.0 46 0.0 
			 U24 Offence taken into consideration 41 0.0 49 0.1 34 0.0 45 0.0 
			 U25 Victim refuses to give evidence or retracts 1,729 1.9 1,596 1.8 1,206 1.2 1,039 1.0 
			 U26 Other witness refuses to give evidence or retracts 207 0.2 191 0.2 167 0.2 181 0.2 
			 U27 Victim fails to attend unexpectedly 542 0.6 624 0.7 614 0.6 627 0.6 
			 U28 Other civilian witness fails to attend unexpectedly 216 0.2 174 0.2 177 0.2 151 0.1 
			 U29 Police witness fails to attend unexpectedly 37 0.0 37 0.0 32 0.0 29 0.0 
			 U30 Victim intimidation 1 0.0 5 0.0 1 0.0 6 0.0 
			 U31 Other civilian witness intimidation 2 0.0 2 0.0 0 0.0 1 0.0 
			 U32 Documents produced at court 43 0.0 20 0.0 24 0.0 25 0.0 
			  
			  Total Other Reasons 1,643 1.8 1,255 1.4 1,099 1.1 817 0.8 
			 O33 Bind over acceptable 733 0.8 661 0.7 652 0.7 489 0.5 
			 O34 Acquittal after trial 86 0.1 107 0.1 124 0.1 83 0.1 
			 O35 Other 824 0.9 487 0.5 323 0.3 245 0.2 
			  
			  Total prosecutions dropped 12,663 13.9 12,290 13.6 12,509 12.8 12,198 11.7 
			  
			  Total completed crown court cases 91,358 - 90,269 - 97,529 - 103,890 -

Crown Prosecution Service

Edward Garnier: To ask the Solicitor-General how many employment tribunals are considering cases relating to Crown Prosecution Service staff.

Vera Baird: There are currently 20 employment tribunal cases, lodged against the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) by CPS staff.

Serious Fraud Office: Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Solicitor-General how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside the Serious Fraud Office's (SFO) buildings attended by civil servants in the SFO there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Vera Baird: The Serious Fraud Office has held three away days since 2005 at a total cost of £37,473.21 (including VAT).

DEFENCE

Hebrides Range

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will replace the surveillance and tracking equipment in use at Hebrides Range.

Quentin Davies: My officials are developing plans with the range operator, QinetiQ, for new investment in the Hebrides Range including the possible replacement or upgrade of surveillance and tracking equipment. The plans are at an early stage and no decisions have yet been taken. These plans will not involve redundancies.

Hebrides Range

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will upgrade the electricity generation facilities at St. Kilda in respect of Hebrides Range.

Quentin Davies: My officials are currently considering whether the existing electricity generators on St. Kilda should be replaced due to their age. This assessment will take into account the affordability and relative priority of any replacement compared with other potential investments. These plans will not involve redundancies.

Afghanistan: Armed Forces

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken to form local auxiliary forces outside the Afghan National Security Forces in Helmand province.

Bob Ainsworth: The main focus for Afghanistan to be able to take responsibility for its own security has been in developing the Afghan national Army and Afghan national police.
	While there have been several initiatives by the Government of Afghanistan to form local auxiliary forces outside the Afghan National Security Forces, including plans for an Afghan national auxiliary police and an Afghan public protection programme, these have not been adopted in Helmand.

Afghanistan: Armed Forces

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information his Department holds on the tribal origins of the  (a) officers and  (b) other ranks in the (i) present and (ii) expected future Afghan National Army; and what proportion are (A) currently serving and (B) expected to serve in Helmand province.

Bob Ainsworth: The tribal origins of the Afghan National Army are provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Pashtun  Tajik  Hazara  Uzbek  Others 
			 Officer 43 40 8 4 5 
			 Non commissioned officers 42 40 8 6 4 
			 Enlisted 39 33 12 9 7 
			 Overall ANA 41 36 11 7 5 
		
	
	We expect the future tribal origins of the Afghan National Army to be consistent with the tribal targets for the Afghan National Army set by the Government of Afghanistan in 2002 which are Pashtuns-42 per cent; Tajiks 27 per cent; Hazara-9 per cent; Uzbek-9 per cent; Other-13 per cent.
	As announced by the Prime Minister on 14 October 2009, last year there were only 4,200 Afghan soldiers in Helmand; this year numbers have increased by an extra 50 per cent, to more than 6,000.
	As announced by the Prime Minister on 30 November extra Afghan soldiers have started to arrive in Helmand this month with 600 arriving which equates to an extra company for each Afghan battalion there. A further 10 Afghan companies (1,000 more troops) will soon reinforce the Afghan army's 205 corps across southern Afghanistan.
	We will continue to work closely with the Government of Afghanistan and the international community to build the capacity of the Afghan national security forces.

Afghanistan: Census

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many population censuses have been carried out in Britain's area of responsibility in Helmand province since 2005.

Bob Ainsworth: The last official population census carried out in Afghanistan, which included Helmand Province, was in 1970. A number of population estimates have been undertaken since then by international organisations and forces. For example in 2003 the Afghan Central Statistical Office/United Nations Population Fund conducted a Socio-Economic Demographic Profile which included a population estimate.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the Prime Minister's Statement of 30 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 831-6W, on Afghanistan and Pakistan, on what date it was agreed with the Afghan government that the number of Afghan police in Helmand would increase to 4,100; and how many Afghan police were deployed in Helmand prior to that agreement.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	The decision to uplift the number of Afghan police in Helmand to 4,100 was announced by Afghan Minister of the Interior Hanif Atmar in July 2009. It followed discussion and agreement with the international community, including the UK, at the International Policing Coordination Board, chaired by Minister Atmar. It was part of a review of the Afghan national police by the Interior Ministry, which resulted in the decision to increase the number of police by 10,000 for 14 high-threat provinces ahead of the Afghan elections in August. Prior to that the Helmand allocation for Afghan national police was 3,500.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average annual cost is of deployment of servicemen and women in Afghanistan since 2001.

Bob Ainsworth: The operational costs in Afghanistan are prepared and audited on an annual basis for the whole of the operation and do not separately identify information regarding the cost of each individual deployed in theatre. This is because deployed troops conduct many different tasks, using different equipment, which results in varying consumption rates.
	The current forecast of costs for military operations in Afghanistan during the financial year 2009-10 is £3.754 million, as published in Winter Supplementary Estimates, 24 November 2009,  Official Report, column 45-46WS. The cost of military operations (Request for Resources 2) is based on the net additional costs incurred for the full cost of items such as transport/movement, consumption, operational equipment and equipment support, operational allowances and welfare, utilities, infrastructure, communications, food, training, medical supplies, as well as non-cash costs such as depreciation and cost of capital charge. The costs that the Department would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as payroll costs, are recorded against the core (Request for Resources 1) Defence budget.
	However, a benchmark, based on the total level of expenditure against the total number of troops deployed in theatre in any given period, would equate to approximately £390,000 per service person as set out by the Prime Minister on 4 September 2009.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the security situation in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 10 December 2009
	 I discuss the security situation in Afghanistan with my US counterpart regularly. I spoke to Secretary Gates on 1 December ahead of President Obama's announcement that the United States would send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. Most recently, I met Secretary Gates in Afghanistan on 10 December 2009.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects 8 Squadron Royal Air Force to deploy as part of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force; and what estimate he has made of the cost of the deployment.

Bob Ainsworth: The deployment of personnel and equipment from 8 Squadron, Royal Air Force started on 8 December 2009. The estimated additional cost to the UK of the deployment of the Boeing E3D Sentry detachment is about £1.5 million.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK aircraft deployed as part of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force will fly over Afghan airspace.

Bob Ainsworth: The UK's Boeing E3D Sentry aircraft assigned to support the International Security Assistance Force will operate in Afghan airspace to meet the need for improved air traffic control in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where the UK aircraft deployed as part of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force will be based.

Bob Ainsworth: As I told the House on 8 December,  Official Report, columns 14-15WS, the UK's Boeing E3D Sentry detachment that will operate in support of the International Security Assistance Force will be based in the middle east. I am not prepared to be more specific as to do so could harm our international relations.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans are in place to ensure that Christmas cards and gifts reach British troops serving in Afghanistan in time for Christmas;
	(2)  what proportion of Christmas cards and gifts sent to British troops in Afghanistan are expected to reach the troops in time for Christmas.

Bill Rammell: Mail posted before the last date of posting (4 December) will already have arrived in Afghanistan. All mail is expected to be with service personnel by Christmas subject to the availability of space within the supply chain in Afghanistan.
	To ensure that mail reaches HM Forces in time for Christmas, MOD published last posting dates via the MOD, BFPO and Royal Mail websites. In addition, extra space on aircraft was allocated to move mail to Afghanistan and additional seasonal staff were employed by BFPO to process the Christmas mail surge.

Armed Forces: Mental Health Services

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has made to provide support for soldiers with mental health problems following active service in Iraq.

Kevan Jones: MOD takes very seriously its responsibility to provide high-quality mental health care to its personnel. Diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders in members of the armed forces are performed by trained and accredited mental health personnel. In Iraq, we deployed uniformed mental health nurses to provide in-theatre care and treatment for our personnel. If personnel needed to leave the operational environment, then their care continued either on an out- or in-patient basis in the UK or their permanent base overseas.
	In the UK, our mental health services for military personnel are configured to provide community-based mental health care, primarily through our 15 military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) across the UK (plus centres overseas), which provide out-patient mental health care. The DCMH mental health teams, comprising psychiatrists, mental health nurses, clinical psychologists and mental health social workers, have particular expertise in treatments for psychological injury.
	For the relatively small number of military patients who need it, in-patient care is currently provided by a group of seven NHS trusts located throughout England and Scotland, led by South Staffordshire and Shropshire NHS Foundation Trust (SSSFT) through a central MOD contract.

Armed Forces: Training

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many tactical training areas there are in the West Yorkshire region.

Bill Rammell: The term tactical training area is not recognised by the Ministry of Defence. However the term air tactical training is recognised and refers to the three areas of the UK where operational low flying is permitted.
	There are no air tactical training areas in West Yorkshire.
	There are however three training areas in the West Yorkshire area (Ellingham Banks, Laver Banks and Ripon Parks) which are primarily used for low level dry training which does not involve live ammunition.

Armed Forces: Training

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Officer Training Corps joined  (a) the regular army and  (b) the Territorial Army in 2008; and what percentage of the establishment of the corps this represented in each case.

Bill Rammell: In 2008, 271 members of the Officer Training Corps joined the Regular Army Commissioning Courses at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; 86 members of the Officer Training Corps joined the Territorial Army Commissioning Courses at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; and 129 members of the Officer Training Corps enlisted as soldiers. These numbers equate to, respectively, 9 per cent., 2.9 per cent. and 4.4 per cent. of the overall establishment of the Corps. In total, just under 50 per cent. of those leaving the Corps as graduates in 2008 went on to embark on a career in the Army.

Armed Services: Helicopters

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters belonging to each of the armed services are in  (a) the United Kingdom,  (b) Afghanistan and  (c) each other location.

Bill Rammell: The total number of Army, Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy helicopters based in the UK (as at 31 October 2009) is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Service  Total number of UK-based helicopters 
			 Army 182 
			 RAF 167 
			 Navy 128 
		
	
	There are a further 24 helicopters permanently based in Germany, Canada, Belize, Brunei and Oman.
	A proportion of the UK-based Army, Navy and Royal Air Force helicopter fleets are currently deployed on expeditionary operations. We do not disclose the exact number of aircraft deployed on operations as to do so would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of these forces.

Cadets

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which overseas nationalities are permitted to serve in the UK Combined Cadet Force.

Kevan Jones: All boys and girls over the age of 13 who are pupils of the school are eligible to join the Combined Cadet Force (CCF); there are no nationality restrictions.
	There are three different types of adult instructors in the CCF:
	1. CCF officers who are part of the Reserve Forces and must meet at least one of the following criteria:
	at all times since birth been a British subject or a citizen of the Irish Republic;
	be permanently domiciled in the UK;
	have been born in a country or territory which is, or then was, within the Commonwealth or the Irish Republic;
	both parents were born in a country or territory which, is or then was, within the Commonwealth or the Irish Republic, or was at death, a British subject or a citizen of the Irish Republic.
	2. School Staff Instructors; where there are no nationality restrictions but applications have to be approved by the Brigade.
	3. Civilian Instructors; where there are no nationality restrictions but applications have to be approved by the Brigade.

Caparo Group

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 December 2009,  Official Report, column 906W, on Caparo Group, what contracts his Department holds with the Caparo Group and its companies; and what the monetary value of each is.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department currently holds six contracts with the Caparo Group and its companies, totalling £488,784, mainly for automotive parts such as brake products, including discs, fluid and hoses for military support vehicles. I am withholding the breakdown of this information, as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

Civil Servants: Compensation

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much has been paid out to civil servants in his Department under the Civil Service no-fault compensation scheme in each year since the scheme was established;
	(2)  what the 10 highest payments made to civil servants in his Department under the Civil Service no-fault compensation scheme have been on each ground for payment since the scheme was established.

Bob Ainsworth: There is no civil service no-fault compensation scheme. However, the civil service injury benefits scheme (CSIBS) pays benefits regardless of whether injury or death of an employee results from the negligence of the Crown as the employer. For this reason, benefits are sometimes described as being paid on a no-fault basis. This answer is therefore based on the CSIBS.
	The aim of the CSIBS is to provide a guaranteed level of income to the civil servant (or a dependant) where an injury (or death) at work results in the loss of earnings or earnings capacity. No compensation is paid for pain or suffering and benefits are reduced or expunged where damages are awarded for the same accident. Benefits are not payable where the injury or death is wholly or mainly due to the person's own serious and culpable negligence or misconduct.
	Departmental records do not provide the value of CSIBS payments in such a way as to allow the questions to be answered as presented and to do so would incur disproportionate cost. However, in the period April to October 2009 the overall value of permanent awards was £378,622.51. By comparison, in the same period the armed forces compensation scheme paid out £19 million to members of the armed forces injured due to service, and the dependents of those killed due to service.

Defence: Procurement

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2009,  Official Report, column 22W, on defence: procurement, by what mechanism lessons learned from the procurement of the new sniper rifle sight will be applied to future procurement exercises.

Quentin Davies: There were no specific lessons learned from procurement of the Sniper Thermal Imaging Capability. This capability was procured as an Urgent Operational Requirement and met the needs of the users within the expected delivery date.

Departmental Conferences

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which conferences held overseas have been attended by civil servants based in his Department in the last three years; and what the cost to the public purse was of such attendance at each conference.

Kevan Jones: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Expenditure on conferences must be incurred in accordance with the principles of the Treasury publications Managing Public Money and Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many plasma screen televisions his Department has purchased since 2001; and what the cost has been of purchasing and installing such screens in each such year.

Quentin Davies: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	All expenditure has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of the Treasury publications Managing Public Money and Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.

Departmental Finance

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) approved budget for the 10-year equipment budget and  (b) expenditure on the 10-year equipment programme was in each year since 1997.

Quentin Davies: The MOD does not have an approved equipment budget for the 10-year planning horizon. The most recent comprehensive spending review set the Department's budget for the financial years 2008 to 2011 and departmental expenditure plans after 2010-11 have not yet been agreed. The Department does however have a 10-year Equipment Plan which is used for internal planning purposes only. As a general rule we do not currently comment on the plan as it is based upon internal planning assumptions which are inevitably subject to a significant amount of variation, and their availability could prejudice our commercial interests. In the future, as part of implementing the Bernard Gray recommendations we plan to provide an annual statement of the affordability of the programme against the defence budget.
	Expenditure on the 10-year Equipment programme is published in the UK Defence Statistics 2009, Chapter 1-Finance, Table 1.4 and UK Defence Statistics 2002, Chapter 1, Table 1.7.
	The UK Defence Statistics 2009, Chapter 1-Finance, Table 1.4 explains the omission of figures for 2001-02 and 2002-03.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what pay band his Department's Chief Information Officer (CIO) is employed; whether the CIO is employed on a fixed-term or permanent contract; and what the size is of the budget for which the CIO is responsible in the period 2009-10.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department's chief information officer (CIO) is employed at the senior civil service pay band 2 level, on a permanent contract. The CIO budget is £86.5 million, a significant proportion of which (£55 million) is allocated for spectrum usage charges paid to Ofcom for the frequency bands assigned to MOD.

Departmental Official Cars

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of providing official cars for the use of  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in the last 12 months.

Kevan Jones: The Government Car and Despatch Agency is responsible for providing the official car for use by the Secretary of State. Its cost was included in a ministerial statement on the Cost of Ministerial Cars for 2008-09 by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the hon. Member for Gillingham (Paul Clark) on 16 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 79-80WS. The Secretary of State has a car provided as part of the security necessary for the post holder.
	The figures for SCS have been published on the MOD website at:
	www.mod.uk

Departmental Publications

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish his Department's review of the work undertaken by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: This review is at an early stage. Progress updates will be provided twice a year alongside the Budget and pre-Budget reports.

Departmental Sick Leave

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many days of sickness absence were taken by staff in his Department and its agencies in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the cost to his Department was of such absence.

Kevan Jones: The information is not held in the format requested. MOD sickness figures are published in annual report available in the Library of House and quarterly on the MOD website at the following link:
	www.mod.uk

Departmental Standards

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to publish his Department's Autumn Performance Report.

Bob Ainsworth: The Department's Autumn Performance Report was published on 8 December. It can be found at the following link:
	www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CB53888A-8BF0-40B4-827D-541DB9C44C9D/0/modpsa_20091201_q2_autumn.pdf

Departmental Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on away days in the last 12 months; and what the (i) subject and (ii) location of each away day was.

Kevan Jones: MOD is dedicated to developing its staff and provides training and development opportunities to help employees realise their full potential and support the achievement of business objectives. Away days can be a vital part of that process.
	Information on away days attended by civil servants is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the organisation of meetings outside the Department's buildings is based on sound planning and adheres to our policies on propriety and value for money where accommodation costs and other charges are involved.

Departmental Training

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside his Department's building attended by civil servants in his Department there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Kevan Jones: MOD is dedicated to developing its staff and provides training and development opportunities to help employees realise their full potential and support the achievement of business objectives. Away days and conferences can be a vital part of that process.
	Information on away days and conferences attended by civil servants is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, the organisation of meetings outside the Department's buildings is based on sound planning and adheres to our policies on propriety and value for money where accommodation costs and other charges are involved.

Efficiency Savings

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efficiency savings have been achieved by his Department in each of the last 10 years; and how much of those savings has been spent on defence.

Bob Ainsworth: Efficiency commitments for financial years 1998-09 to 2001-02 were set out in the 1997 Strategic Defence Review. Further efficiency or value for money targets were set in each subsequent spending review. The way in which savings were measured varied over the period, and so direct comparisons between spending reviews is not possible.
	Savings throughout the period were either used to relieve cost pressures or to allow more to be spent on Defence priorities.
	
		
			  Comprehensive  spending r eview period 1998-99 to 2001-02 
			   Cumulative savings (cash and resource, £ million) 
			 1998-1999 594 
			 1999-2000 1,126 
			 2000-01 1,549 
			 2001-02 2,012 
		
	
	 2002 spending r eview efficiency programme 2002-03 to 2005-06
	The MOD's spending review 2002 included a target of year-on-year output efficiency gains of 2.5 per cent. from 2002-03 to 2005-06. No overall financial target was set, as savings were measured as the weighted average of performance against a set of process-related supported targets. MOD achieved the overall target of 10 per cent. savings, realised by several specific major change programmes.
	
		
			  Spending review 2004 for the period 2004-05 to 2006-07-'Gershon' efficiency programme 
			   Cumulative annual savings (£ million) against April 2004 baseline 
			 2005-06 1,485 
			 2006-07 2,376 
			 2007-08 3,045 
		
	
	
		
			  Comprehensive review period 2007-08 to 2010-11-value for money programme 
			   Annual savings (£ million) against April 2008 baseline 
			 2008-09 650 
		
	
	Further information on all these savings, including details on how they were measured, can be found in MOD's Annual Report and Accounts, which can be found at the following link:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/AnnualReports

Electronic Warfare

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will require his Department to put in place sufficient resilience policy and practical measures to prevent cyber-attacks on the bases it operates.

Bob Ainsworth: The Ministry of Defence has technical and procedural measures in place to protect it from, and mitigate, the impact of cyber attacks, as it does other threats and risks. The MOD conducts exercises to test these measures both internally, and with other Government agencies and our allies. Technical and procedural measures are constantly reviewed to reflect the dynamic nature of the threats. We do not comment on the detail of such protective measures in order not to provide information that could be exploited by a potential attacker.

Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will allow service personnel who were unable to sign up to the Enhanced Learning Credit scheme due to operational service to sign up to the scheme with retrospective effect.

Kevan Jones: Where the reason for non-registration is as a result of their service in an operational theatre, members are already able to submit an application for consideration. If it is accepted to be beyond the individual's control then retrospective registration will be given.

Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the qualification criteria are for service personnel to be entitled to participate in the Enhanced Learning Credit scheme.

Kevan Jones: To be eligible to participate in the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme, service personnel must register for scheme membership either on enlistment or on the anniversary of their 8th year of service.
	For service personnel who were serving prior to 1 April 2003, registration had to be completed by 1 April 2004. Where for service reasons they could not, applications can be submitted for retrospective registration.

Hotels

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation for  (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in each of the last five years.

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  for how many nights hotel rooms were booked by  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the armed forces in each year since 2007;
	(2)  how much  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the armed forces have spent on hotel accommodation in each year since 2007.

Kevan Jones: The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided in that format only at disproportionate cost.

Hotels

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the armed forces have spent on hotel costs other than accommodation in each year since 2007.

Kevan Jones: This information is not distinguishable from other types of subsistence cost, whether related to hotels or not. It could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Hotels

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the armed forces paid in fees to third-party agents in relation to booking hotel accommodation in each year since 2007.

Kevan Jones: Information is not held in the format requested and could be provided in that format only at disproportionate cost.

Joint Rapid Reaction Force

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which brigade forms the Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF); whether it is presently fully equipped; whether the present JRRF is deployed; and when the future JRRF will take over from the present JRRF.

Bill Rammell: The Army commitment to the Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) was originally centred on the Spearhead Land Element (SLE), the lead Airborne Task Force (ABTF) and the High Readiness Mechanised or Armoured Brigade. In February 2008, due to the deployment of 16 Air Assault Brigade to Afghanistan, the ABTF was replaced by the Small Scale Focused Intervention Battlegroup (SSFI BG). Due to our commitment to prioritise operations in Afghanistan, the ABTF has not yet been re-established. Instead the land elements of the JRRF that are currently held at high readiness are the Spearhead Land Element (SLE) and Small Scale Contingent Battle Group (SSC BG). The SLE is based on 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment. The SSC BG is provided by 42 Commando, Royal Marines.
	Both the SLE and the SSC BG are equipped according to their readiness states and neither is currently deployed.

Military Aircraft

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Army,  (b) Royal Air Force and  (c) Royal Navy (i) fixed wing aircraft and (ii) helicopters are deployed in (A) Iraq and (B) Germany.

Bill Rammell: There are no UK fixed wing aircraft or helicopters deployed in Iraq.
	There are 12 Lynx helicopters from the Army Air Corps based in Gutersloh, Germany, but no UK fixed wing aircraft.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft in the UK helicopter fleet are contracted from the private sector; how many of each type; and what the duration of each hire is.

Quentin Davies: The contracts for the contractor owned military registered (COMR) helicopter fleets with UK armed forces are let on the basis of a contracted number of flying hours and availability. The actual numbers of airframes and specific aircraft types used in the fulfilment of the contract are a matter for the contractor to decide, based on their commercial and technical judgement.
	The following table gives the unit that utilises the contracted helicopters, the aircraft type currently provided by the contractor, the number of hours per annum required by the contract and the dates the contract commenced and when it is currently due to expire. Some of the contracts have clauses to provide extensions to that expiry date, subject to the agreement of both parties.
	
		
			  Unit  Type of aircraft  Flying hours per annum  Contract commenced  Contract expires 
			 Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) Eurocopter Squirrel and Bell Griffin HTl 28,000 (Squirrel); 8,500 (Griffin) November 1996 31 March 2012 
			 Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) Eurocopter AS 3 65 Dauphin 1,500 1 September 2004 31 March 2011 
			 25 Fit AAC, Belize Bell 212 1,200 1 October 2008 30 September 2013 
			 7 Fit AAC, Brunei Bell 212 1,200 1 October 2008 30 September 2013 
			 670 Sqn AAC, Middle Wallop Bell 212 225 1 October 2008 30 September 2013 
			 32 Sqn, RAF Northolt Agusta A109E 900 1 April 2006 31 March 2011 
			 84 Sqn, RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus Bell Griffin HAR2 1,600 1 April 2003 31 March 2010 
		
	
	DHFS consists of 705NAS, 660 Squadron AAC, 60(R) Sqn RAF and Central Flying School (Helicopter) all based at RAF Shawbury, Search and Rescue Training Unit at RAF Valley and elements of 668 and 670 Squadrons AAC at Middle Wallop.
	In addition the following contracts for civilian registered and crewed helicopters are let.
	
		
			  Unit  Type of aircraft  Flying hours per annum  Contract commenced  Contract expires 
			 British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) Sikorsky S61N 1,800 1 July 2005 30 June 2011 
			 FOST Sikorsky S61N 200 Awarded as extension to Dauphin contract 31 March 2011

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what his most recent assessment is of helicopter availability to the armed forces; what equipment assessment was made in each of the last five years; and what forecast he has made of changes to helicopter availability in the next five years;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the helicopter availability requirements of the armed forces in the next 18 to 60 months.

Quentin Davies: The Department plans its current and future helicopter force on the basis of an assessment of the capability required to achieve military success in a range of military tasks and operational scenarios. For instance our helicopter force is currently required to support: overseas expeditionary operations in Afghanistan, anti-piracy and other maritime operations and support to the civil authorities within the UK. The Royal Navy and RAF Sea King fleets also contribute to the provision of Search and Rescue Capability. A proportion of the fleet is at all times engaged in providing live training to crews, ensuring they are fully prepared for deployment on current operations and contingent tasks.
	Our helicopter requirements are kept under constant review. The requirement for helicopter capability on operations is set by the Permanent Joint Headquarters. Our current fleet is meeting the operational requirement but we recognise we can always do more with more, and this is why Secretary of State for Defence, right hon. Bob Ainsworth announced on 15 December 2009 a new Future Rotary Wing Strategy, of which the key element is the procurement of at Chinook helicopters delivering some 40 per cent. more support helicopters suitable for operations in demanding environments such as Afghanistan by 2016. The new strategy will also see the retirement of the whole Sea King fleet by early 2016 allowing the MOD to operate, by around 2022 four broadly equal sized core helicopter fleets of Chinook, Apache, Wildcat and Merlin.

Nuclear Weapons

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment was made in the best practical environmental options selection study for the Enriched Uranium Project of the merits of the purchase from the US of enriched uranium components for  (a) the naval nuclear propulsion programme and  (b) the nuclear warhead programme.

Bob Ainsworth: A wide range of factors were taken into account in identifying a preferred means of meeting the enriched uranium requirements of the Defence Nuclear Programme. These included safety, the environment, risk, cost-effectiveness, security of supply and security classification considerations. I am withholding further details for the purpose of safeguarding national security.

Project Catara

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether an Airspace Study has been completed in connection with Project Catara.

Bill Rammell: The airspace issues relating to Project Catara were considered as part of the Strategic Review of RAF Brize Norton, RAF Lyneham and RAF St. Mawgan, the primary outcome of which was a decision to collocate air transport assets at RAF Brize Norton. It was considered that airspace implications did not preclude such a move.
	However, consideration of potential airspace issues relating to the expansion of RAF Brize Norton's role remains ongoing.

RAF Bases

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the RAF liaison officer is the commanding officer at  (a) RAF Croughton,  (b) RAF Barford St. John,  (c) RAF Menwith Hill,  (d) RAF Fairford,  (e) RAF Welford  (f) RAF Alconbury,  (g) RAF Molesworth,  (h) RAF Lakenheath and  (i) RAF Mildenhall.

Bill Rammell: RAF Croughton, RAF Barford St. John, RAF Menwith Hill, RAF Fairford, RAF Welford, RAF Alconbury, RAF Molesworth, RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall are all made available to the United States Visiting Force (USVF). These sites are commanded by a US officer, usually a United States Air Force officer, at colonel rank.
	An RAF commander is present at the main USVF sites, at a lower rank, normally squadron leader. The role of the RAF commander is to liaise with the US base commander and act as head of establishment for Ministry of Defence employees. There are no RAF commanders at RAF Barford St. John, RAF Welford and RAF Molesworth as these sites are administered by other USVF sites.

RAF Bases

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) US forces personnel,  (b) US civilians,  (c) US contractors,  (d) UK military personnel and  (e) UK civilians are based at (i) RAF Blenheim Crescent, (ii) RAF Digby and (iii) RAF St. Mawgan; and whether the RAF liaison officer in the commanding officer at each base.

Bill Rammell: The numbers of UK personnel at RAF Digby, RAF St. Mawgan and Blenheim Crescent as at 1 October 2009 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Site  MOD civilian personnel  Military personnel 
			 RAF Digby 160 510 
			 RAF St. Mawgan 180 210 
			 Blenheim Crescent - - 
			  Notes: 1. MOD civilian figures are based on headcount. Figures include MOD main industrial (skill zone) and non-industrial staff.  2. The military personnel figures represent the number of service personnel that are stationed at that location. This may differ from the actual number of people working at that location at that time e.g., due to deployments. 
		
	
	There are 40 UK civilian personnel and contractors employed by the US at Blenheim Crescent.
	The numbers of US personnel at RAF Digby, RAF St. Mawgan and Blenheim Crescent as at 1 December 2009 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Site  US military  US civilians  US contractors 
			 RAF Digby 50 5 or less (1)- 
			 RAF St Mawgan (1)- 5 or less (1)- 
			 Blenheim Crescent 20 40 5 or less 
			 (1 )Denotes a count of zero.  Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 
		
	
	Blenheim Crescent is made available to the United States visiting force and is commanded by a US officer. RAF Digby and RAF St. Mawgan are commanded by an RAF Station Commander.

RAF Bases

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons there are no RAF personnel at  (a) RAF Barford St John,  (b) RAF Blenheim Crescent,  (c) RAF Welford,  (d) RAF Molesworth,  (e) RAF Upwood,  (f) RAF Feltwell,  (g) RAF Brampton and  (h) RAF Henlow; and who the commanding officer is at each base.

Bill Rammell: RAF Barford St. John, RAF Welford, RAF Molesworth, RAF Upwood, RAF Feltwell and Blenhiem Crescent are all made available to the United States visiting force (USVF). These bases are all administered by other USVF sites, and as such, there are no RAF personnel at these sites with the exception of RAF Molesworth where there is one RAF officer present. As with all RAF stations where the USVF are present, the base commander is usually a United States Air Force officer, at colonel rank.
	With regard to the numbers of RAF personnel at RAF Brampton and RAF Henlow, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 7 December 2009,  Official Report, column 90W.

RAF Fairford

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what emergency services will be maintained at RAF Fairford following the withdrawal of the US Air Force in 2010.

Bill Rammell: The current planning intent is to retain 24-hour fire and rescue services making use of Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation (DFRMO) personnel. Details surrounding shift patterns and numbers of personnel are being progressed with DFRMO and US Fire Service personnel at RAF Croughton, with formal trade union consultation expected to commence in January 2010.

RAF Fairford

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the effect on emergency plane diversion plans from RAF Brize Norton of the US Air Force's withdrawal from RAF Fairford in September 2010.

Bill Rammell: The withdrawal of the United States Air Force from RAF Fairford will have no effect in the event of an aircraft having to make an emergency diversion from RAF Brize Norton.

RAF Lyneham

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of decontamination at a vacated RAF Lyneham were the site to be sold for  (a) commercial development,  (b) agricultural purposes and  (c) continuing military use.

Bill Rammell: It is the Department's policy to undertake a Land Quality Assessment (LQA) in advance of disposal of any site. Until an LQA to support disposal has been completed, it is not possible to give an estimate of costs relating to land contamination. We currently anticipate that an initial LQA of the site will be undertaken in financial year 2010-11.
	If no further defence or wider government use can be found for RAF Lyneham, the site will be handed over to Defence Estates late 2012 for disposal on the open market or to former owners. However, it is too early to speculate at this stage what alternative non-military uses of the site might be.

RAF Welford

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether there are Ministry of Defence Police Agency staff based at RAF Welford.

Bill Rammell: There are currently both MOD police officers and members of the MOD Guard Service based at RAF Welford.

Rescue Services: Pembrokeshire

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effects of reduced operational hours at RMB Chivenor on search and rescue operations in Pembrokeshire.

Bill Rammell: With regard to current helicopter Search and Rescue: RMB Chivenor are due to provide 12-hour daytime cover only between 31 December and 7 February as part of a short-term programme of rotating night time closures. However, it is hoped that recent increases in trained SAR personnel may enable a return to 24-hour cover during this period. Arrangements are in place for all UK SAR helicopter units to provide temporary cover if required. The provision of adjacent SAR cover is standard practice and occurs routinely when a SAR helicopter is airborne on a search and rescue sortie or is unserviceable.
	When the new Search and Rescue Helicopter (SAR-H) service takes over sometime after 2012, the service provided from RMB Chivenor will operate in the daytime only. In reaching this decision very careful consideration was given to ensuring that the future coverage would still be able to fully meet our national requirement for a night-time SAR Helicopter service to be able to reach all very high, high and 75 per cent. of medium risk areas within one hour from take off. The future SAR Helicopter service will benefit from new modern helicopters which will enable faster transit times to incidents in and from take off. The future SAR Helicopter service will benefit from new modern helicopters which will enable faster transit times to incidents in and around the UK including Pembrokeshire. These helicopters will be some 30 per cent. faster than the current MOD Sea Kings. As a result, the average transit time to all incidents in the Pembrokeshire area and its surrounding coastal waters during the night time (when it would be served by an adjacent base) will be comparable to the current transit times. Historically, over the last five years, RMB Chivenor has responded to a maximum of five incidents per year at night off the coast of Pembrokeshire.

Security Companies

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) complaints and  (b) reports of human rights abuses in relation to activities of private military and security companies have been received by his Department awarded contracts by his Department in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: No complaint or reports of human rights abuses have been received in connection to the activities of private security companies contracted by the MOD in the last five years.

Translation Services

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Punjabi speaking translators were available to  (a) British and  (b) coalition forces in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in 2004.

Bob Ainsworth: Punjabi was not identified as an operational language in 2004 and has not been identified as such subsequently. There is therefore no record of Punjabi speaking translators available to British forces in 2004 in Iraq or Afghanistan. The MOD does not hold information on the number of Punjabi speaking translators available to coalition forces in either country.

Trident

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has paid Rolls-Royce for extending the life of the reactors for the Trident submarines.

Quentin Davies: holding answer 9 December 2009
	The Department has spent around £7 million with Rolls-Royce to assess the implications and undertake research work required to support the planned design life extension of the reactor plants, as advised in the 2006 Defence White Paper: The Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent (Cm 6994).

Trident

Ann Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his letter of 28 August 2009 to the hon. Member for Keighley, ref: D/Min(AF)/BR MC03817/2009, on Trident replacement programme, when he expects to make the initial gate decision on the replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: We had originally planned to consider the Concept Phase in autumn, but further time has been required to ensure that we take decisions based on robust information. We are aiming to be in a position to make an announcement early in the new year.

OLYMPICS

Departmental Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside her Office's buildings attended by civil servants in her Office there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Tessa Jowell: Information on away days and conferences attended by civil servants in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will be covered in the answers provided by the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at DCMS, respectively.

Olympic Games 2012: Culture

Don Foster: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many programmes have been launched in each region as part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 14 December 2009
	The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) works with the Cultural Olympiad Board and delivery partners throughout the cultural sector to deliver the Cultural Olympiad.
	Many of the Major Projects that form the centerpiece of the Cultural Olympiad will have a regional dimension. Three of these have already launched-'Artists Taking The Lead', 'Stories of the World' and 'Unlimited'.
	There is also a grassroots programme of cultural celebration led by LOCOG. This forms two parts. Firstly, London 2012 Open Weekend was held in September 2008 to launch the Cultural Olympiad, and then again in July 2009 to mark '3 Years To Go'. Secondly, LOCOG has developed the 'Inspire Mark', a version of the London 2012 brand for community use to launch or support local and legacy projects genuinely inspired by the Games. Details of these appear in the following table.
	
		
			  Grassroots Cultural Olympiad projects by region, December 2009 
			  Region  Open weekend 2008  Open weekend 2009  Inspire mark 
			 Northern Ireland 20 19 11 
			 Scotland 2 4 1 
			 Wales 5 19 8 
			 London 311 230 63 
			 East 49 27 21 
			 East Midlands 15 72 10 
			 South East 74 189 23 
			 South West 45 47 25 
			 North East 38 33 13 
			 North West 41 55 19 
			 West Midlands 39 54 14 
			 Yorkshire 16 49 10 
			 UK/multi-region - - 43 
			 Total 655 798 261

Olympic Games 2012: Security

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister for the Olympics 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the cost of the installation of the biometric hand and iris scanners for workers at the Olympic Park;
	(2)  how many biometric hand and iris scanners  (a) have been and  (b) are planned to be installed at the Olympic Park;
	(3)  what recent estimate she has made of the unit cost of obtaining iris information from an individual scanned at the Olympic Park;
	(4)  what the cost is of each biometric  (a) hand and  (b) iris scanner installed at the Olympic Park.

Tessa Jowell: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is committed to ensuring that the Olympic Park, venues and the work force engaged there are protected through proportionate security measures. Access controls, including the use of the latest technology, enable properly authorised, equipped and trained workers to enter and leave the Olympic Park quickly and safely.
	To date, 43 hand readers and nine iris readers have been installed on the Olympic Park. The total number planned for installation is 65 and 13 respectively. The cost of each biometric hand and iris scanner is £1,416 for hand readers, and £2,824 for iris readers.
	The estimated total cost of the installation of both hand and iris readers will be approximately £180,000, including installation and maintenance costs.
	The iris biometric is an alternative to the hand geometry biometric, to facilitate the biometric enrolment of those workers on the Olympic Park who may have difficulty using the hand geometry system. Biometric access controls are routinely used on many major UK construction sites. The Olympic Park is the largest construction site in Europe, and we take our responsibility for the health and safety of the work force, and local residents very seriously.
	Biometric checks are used to control access to the site only after the identity of individuals has been verified, including by the UK Borders Agency. After verification of identity, individuals go through an enrolment process, a small part of which is the capture of biometric data, which carries no additional cost. When individuals are then scanned upon entry to the park site, biometrics are checked against the data captured during the enrolment process.

Olympic Games 2012: West Midlands

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Minister for the Olympics how many new sporting facilities are to be created in  (a) the West Midlands and  (b) Staffordshire arising from the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell: Exchequer funding for sport has almost doubled since London's Olympic win in Singapore. In the three years up to the IOC vote in 2005 the amount of Exchequer funding from DCMS was £313 million, in the three years following it was £580 million.
	Sport England is investing £480 million of Exchequer and lottery funds through 46 national governing bodies over the next four years to deliver this target and increase participation throughout the country. A proportion of the £480 million will be invested into capital facilities throughout the country.
	The Government have provided £140 million for Free Swimming. This has helped deliver 10.4 million free swims for under 16s and over 60s around the country between April and September 2009. There are two new swimming pools in the West Midlands that have received funding from the Free Swimming Capital Modernisation Fund which will be completed in the next few months. Between June and September 2009 there have been 1,414,817 free swims in the West Midlands.
	In the West Midlands the percentage of adults participating in sport at least three times a week increased from 14.5 per cent. in 2005-06 to 14.9 per cent. in 2007-08. In Staffordshire the percentage of adults participating in sport at least three times a week increased from 15.8 per cent. to 17.4 per cent. (The national average was 15.5 per cent. in 2005-06 and 16.5 per cent. in 2007-08).
	The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is actively seeking a games-time football venue in the Midlands.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) British and  (b) Afghan speakers of each Afghan language are employed in Afghanistan by his Department.

Chris Bryant: Language training requirements for staff working in Afghanistan are kept under regular review. We work to balance cost-effectiveness of training with the need to support high-quality diplomatic engagement in country. For many jobs in-country, such as those which require little or no contact with Afghans outside the embassy, no local language skills are necessary. It is more cost effective to employ locally-recruited Afghan staff in many positions which require local language skills.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently has six UK based officers with a relevant language proficiency deployed in Afghanistan, five with Dari and one with Pashtu. We employ locally-recruited Afghan staff in many positions which require local language skills. For example, where we need to engage in Helmand Province at high levels, we will always use one of our 10 qualified locally engaged Pashtu interpreters to ensure that both sides fully understand the issues being discussed. In Kabul there are 66 Afghan staff working alongside staff from the UK, in Lashkar Gah 18 and in Helmand's district centres a further 11 who between them all speak Dari and Pashtu.

Angad Paul

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings  (a) he,  (b) other Ministers and  (c) officials in his Department have had with Angad Paul in each of the last three years.

David Miliband: Ministers and officials meet a variety of individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. There is no central record of all individuals met by officials. A list of organisations met by Ministers is regularly placed on the FCO website at
	http://foi.fco.gov.uk/en/released-documents/view- releases/releases-date-2009.

Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in implementing the Final Declaration of the London conference on combating anti-Semitism, with particular reference to  (a) establishing an international taskforce of internet specialists to measure anti-Semitism online and propose international responses and  (b) exposing and isolating (i) governments and (ii) politicians engaging in anti-Semitism; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Government are committed to tackling anti-Semitism. We condemn all instances of persecution and discrimination against individuals and groups wherever they occur.
	The recommendations of the London Declaration has informed activity both within cross-Government hate crime programmes and in our international work, particularly within the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister became the first world leader to sign the London Declaration on Combating Anti-Semitism on 25 February 2009 and on signing the declaration he said
	So many of the principles it enshrines are already things we are doing here in Britain and while I'm proud of the bold action Britain has taken to combat anti-Semitism such as improved reporting, prosecutions for anti-Semitic internet hate and the funding of Holocaust Education in schools, there is no room for complacency.
	The Cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan includes activity in support of the declaration and was launched on 14 September. It can be viewed at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/hate-crime-action-plan
	More recently in December the OSCE Ministerial Council agreed a Decision on Combating Hate Crimes. It contains helpful UK-inspired language on addressing the increasing use of the Internet to advocate views constituting an incitement to bias-motivated violence including hate crimes. It also encourages OSCE participating states to seek opportunities to co-operate and tasks the OSCE's Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to undertake some exploratory work.

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in his Department's buildings in the last 12 months.

Chris Bryant: In the last 12 months the cost of work undertaken in the offices allocated to two Ministers has totalled £6,973. This has covered the scheduled redecoration and re-carpeting of one office last redecorated more than 10 years ago at a cost of £5,385 (£2,762 for redecoration, £2,226 for re-carpeting and £398.96 for management of the works) and the repainting of walls in a second office at a cost of £1,588. Costs were met from existing maintenance budgets.

Departmental Contracts

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the answer of 14 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 320-324W, on departmental contracts, what the purpose was of the contracts worth  (a) £103,885 and  (b) £131,684, listed as Staff Replacements; when those funds were disbursed to TPS consult; what assessment was made of the benefits to his Department of that expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a framework agreement for construction consultancy services with 15 companies, one of which is TPS Consult. In 2008, Estate and Security Group of FCO Services (an executive agency of the FCO operating as a trading fund) used this framework for two security cleared technical staff from TPS Consult to fill vacant slots whilst a recruitment process was carried out to fill the vacancies permanently.
	Since question 285289 on 14 July, updated figures for contract  (a) show that a total of £117,675 has now been paid in fourteen separate payments for the services of an electrical engineer between May 2008 and September 2009. This contract has since been terminated and a permanent incumbent recruited. Details of individual payments are contained in the attached spreadsheet for contract  (a) , a copy of which will be placed in the Library.
	Updated figures for contract  (b) show that a total of £138,612 has been paid in 12 separate payments for the services of an architectural technician between May 2008 and September 2009. This contract remains extant and is under constant review. Details of individual payments are contained in the attached spreadsheet for contract  (b), a copy of which will be placed in the Library.
	Assessments of benefits were made by FCO Services, in the form of the business plan and their ability to continue to provide the services they had been contracted to deliver.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department received in 2008; and how many of these received a substantive response within 20 days.

Chris Bryant: Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice on freedom of information in central Government for 2008 show that of a total of 1,019 non-routine requests received by the Department (based on aggregated quarterly data) 80 per cent. (815) received a substantive response within 20 days. 98 per cent. (994) of requests were dealt with 'in time', that is within 20 days by meeting the deadline or other permitted extension deadline.
	The statistics can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformationquarterly.htm
	and copies are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Manpower

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff of his Department were in its redeployment pool on 1  (a) January,  (b) April,  (c) July and  (d) October 2009.

Chris Bryant: The corporate pool is a valuable source of short-term cover for urgent operational demands, for example the recently announced Afghanistan conference, where corporate pool resources have been essential. However, it is kept under constant review to ensure that the number of people in the pool is kept at the optimum level.
	The size of the pool during 2009 was as follows.
	
		
			   Total 
			 January 228 
			 April 232 
			 July 218 
			 October 215 
		
	
	Over 90 per cent. of staff in the corporate pool were deployed to departments or on language or other pre-posting training. The October figures represent 4.6 per cent. of total UK-based staff.

Departmental Manpower

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the FCO-DfID Shared Services Plan of November 2006, which body is responsible for assessing in each instance whether sharing services represent value for money; and what criteria are used in making such an assessment.

David Miliband: Under the 2006 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)-Department for International Development (DFID) Shared Services Plan the two Departments have agreed to work together to share services wherever it represents value for money.
	Work to date has focused on increasing co-location of FCO and DFID operations in countries where both departments have a presence, harmonising the pay and conditions of support staff, increasing collaboration in procurement, coordinating ICT plans, and improving practical cooperation in the UK and overseas.
	The two Departments meet quarterly at senior official level to review progress. They seek in these discussions to make joint assessments of whether co-operation in a given area is delivering value for money and the other practical benefits which the plan aims to achieve.

Departmental Official Gifts

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what official gifts he and his predecessors have received from the President of Afghanistan and other Ministers in the Pakistani government in each year since 2001.

Ivan Lewis: The Government have published annual lists of gifts given and received by Ministers in an official capacity valued at over £140 since 2001. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. The 2008-09 list was published on 16 July 2009.

Departmental Training

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many officials within his Department received training other than language training in financial year  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09; and how many he expects to receive such training in 2009-10.

David Miliband: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides a wide range of developmental and skills training to staff in the UK and overseas. This includes face-to-face training in the UK and through regional training centres overseas (RTCs) and e-learning courses. In financial year 2008-09 human resources directorate offered about 1,929 face-to-face training places in the UK and 10,231 places through RTCs. More than 4,450 staff in the UK and overseas used e-learning courses.
	Directorates and posts in the FCO also provide subject specific training, for example on economic reporting, counter terrorism, security, information technology, climate change. It would incur a disproportionate cost to provide details of the number of staff trained by directorates and posts as this information is not held centrally.
	The number of training places we offer in financial year 2010-11 will depend on the budget available. Providing appropriate training for staff in the UK and overseas will remain an important tool in helping staff deliver the FCO's departmental strategic objectives effectively.

Departmental Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he last travelled by  (a) bus and  (b) taxi in the course of his official duties.

Chris Bryant: In the course of his official duties, the Foreign Secretary normally travels by car, consistent with the Ministerial Code:
	http ://www. cabinetoffice. gov.uk/media/cabinetoffice/propriety _and_ethics/assets/ministerial_code_current.pdf
	and security requirements.

Hezbollah

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the Government will be holding discussions with Hezbollah; whether there are any preconditions attached to these discussions; who will be attending these discussions on behalf of the Government; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Government policy towards Hezbollah is one of limited and considered contacts with some Hezbollah politicians. We will be taking a pragmatic approach by speaking to known moderate political figures who, to the best of our knowledge, have no links with acts of violence.
	Other than these, there are no established preconditions at present.
	There has only been one specific meeting between our ambassador in Beirut and an Hezbollah MP, Mohammad Raad, on 18 June 2009. During this meeting the ambassador discussed the formation of the new Lebanese Government, and implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701. Our ambassador pressed for full implementation of 1701, especially in relation to arms.
	In the future, where we have contacts, members of our embassy in Beirut will represent the Government accordingly.

Libya

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the  (a) amount and  (b) technological sophistication of biological and chemical material shipped from Libya to the US for evaluation.

Ivan Lewis: The UK and US have regular discussions about Libya's progress towards its 2003 commitment to destroy all remaining weapons of mass destruction. The US report that there have been no shipments of chemical and biological material and there are no plans to do so.

Members: Correspondence

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead dated 28 October 2009, on a difficulty experienced in corresponding with the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office did not receive the original letter from the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead. Following a call to the hon. Member's parliamentary office on 11 December 2009, a copy has now been received and will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports the Government have received in respect of  (a) military activity at al-Quads hospital in Gaza on 15 January 2009,  (b) the use of white phosphorous shells during the attack by Israeli forces on (i) al-Quads hospital and (ii) al-Wafa hospital and  (c) the use made of the site of (A) the el-Bader flour mill and (B) the Atta Abu Jubbah cement packaging plant in the Gaza Strip prior to their targeting by Israeli forces during January 2009.

Ivan Lewis: There have been various reports conducted into the Gaza conflict, some by human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. However, these specific issues are covered in the Government of Israel's July 2009 report The Operation in Gaza: Factual and Legal Aspects and the UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Report.
	Copies of these reports can be found at:
	http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Hamas+war+against+Israel/Operation_in_Gaza-Factual_and_Legal_Aspects.htm
	and
	http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/12session/A-HRC-12-48.pdf.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been clear from the beginning of the Gaza conflict that all allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed by anyone during the conflict should be properly investigated.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on the directions given to civilians in Gaza by Palestinian armed groups in respect of going to or remaining at sites targeted for attack under Operation Cast Lead.

Ivan Lewis: There have been various reports conducted into the Gaza conflict, some by human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. However, the specific issue of directions given to civilians in Gaza by Palestinian armed groups is documented in the Government of Israel's July 2009 report The Operation in Gaza: Factual and Legal Aspects (paragraphs 186 to 189) and the UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Report.
	Copies of these reports can be found at:
	http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Hamas+war+against+Israel/Operation_in_Gaza-Factual_and_Legal_Aspects.htm
	and
	http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/l2session/A-HRC-12-48 .pdf
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has been clear from the beginning of the Gaza conflict that all allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed by anyone during the conflict should be properly investigated.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports his Department has received on the use of  (a) hospital facilities and  (b) ambulances by (i) the authorities in Gaza and (ii) Palestinian armed groups during Operation Cast Lead.

Ivan Lewis: There have been various reports conducted into the Gaza conflict, some by human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. However, the specific allegations of misuse of medical facilities and ambulances is documented in the Government of Israel's July 2009 report The Operation in Gaza: Factual and Legal Aspects (pp64-67, paragraphs 171 to 180) and the UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza Report (page 117).
	Copies of these reports can be found at:
	http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Hamas+war+against+Israel/Operation_in_Gaza-Factual_and_Legal_Aspects.htm
	and
	http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/12session/A-HRC-12-48.pdf
	The Foreign Secretary has been clear from the beginning of the Gaza conflict that all allegations of violations of international humanitarian law committed by anyone during the conflict should be properly investigated.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on  (a) the number of incidents in which Israeli military forces have fired on Gazan (i) farmers and (ii) fishermen in each of the last four quarters and  (b) the resultant injuries.

Ivan Lewis: According to the UN in 2009 (to November) one fisherman has been killed, 24 fishermen and six farmers have been injured as a result of warning shots fired by Israeli forces.
	The UK recognises Israel's right to defend itself but calls upon the Israeli Government to act with restraint and in accordance with international law.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on Israeli naval restrictions on Gazan fishermen.

Ivan Lewis: Israeli restrictions on Gaza, including those on Gazan fisherman, continue to have a detrimental effect on the Gazan economy. We are clear in our call for Israel to relax its restrictions on Gaza.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Prime Minister has received a response to his joint letter of 16 October 2009 with President Sarkozy to his Israeli counterpart on the report of the UN Fact Finding Mission to Gaza; and whether the Israeli Government has taken any of the actions requested in the letter.

Ivan Lewis: The joint letter was the culmination of substantive discussions between my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, President Sarkozy and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu ahead of an important vote in the Human Rights Council on the serious issues raised by the UN Fact Finding Mission on Gaza report. Ministers have followed-up with further discussions, notably my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary with his Israeli counterpart on 25 November 2009 and the Secretary of State for International Development with Defence Minister Barak on 1 December 2009.
	On 25 November 2009, the Israeli Government announced a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank. The Foreign Secretary made clear in a statement that same day that we want this announcement by Israel to become a step towards resuming meaningful negotiations to achieve the vision of two states living side by side in peace and security, based on 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as a shared capital, and a fair settlement for refugees.

Middle East: Armed Conflict

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the role of the Iranian Qods force in terrorist activity in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The Qods Force (QF) is a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Force (IRGC). We have previously expressed concern that the IRGC and the IRGC-QF are involved in training, equipping and supplying, to varying degrees, Iraqi armed militia groups, the Taliban, Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian Rejectionist Groups. This further undermines international confidence in the Iranian regime's intentions, and is at odds with the regime's claims to the international community and its own people to want to work for stability, security and prosperity.

Morocco

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with the Moroccan Ambassador to the UK the matter of the movement of Moroccan settlers to occupied Western Sahara.

Ivan Lewis: The Government have not discussed the movement of population between Morocco and Western Sahara with the Moroccan ambassador to the UK and have no plans to discuss the matter with Her Highness at this time.
	The Government see the status of Western Sahara as undetermined and continue to believe that progress towards a negotiated solution to the dispute, providing for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara, is best achieved under the auspices of the UN. To this end the UK fully supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross.

Origin Marking: Morocco

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the labelling of produce originating from territories occupied by  (a) Morocco and  (b) Israel.

Ivan Lewis: On 10 December my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs tabled a written ministerial statement concerning technical advice on the labelling of produce from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. That advice has been issued in response to consumer and retailer concern about a lack of clarity on whether such produce comes from Israeli settlements or Palestinian producers.
	We do not regard the two situations as comparable and there is no technical advice in place for commercial products originating from the territory of Western Sahara. For example the Government regard the status of Western Sahara, as distinct from the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as undetermined pending resolution under the auspices of the UN.

Palestinians

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence his Department has evaluated on the uses to which the Palestinian Legislative Council building in Gaza was put before December 2008.

Ivan Lewis: We have no reports of the use of the Palestinian Legislative Council building, other than by Hamas as an administrative building.

Palestinians: International Assistance

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request his Israeli counterpart to allow aid items into Gaza.

Ivan Lewis: We continue to press the Israeli authorities, both at an official and ministerial level, to ease border restrictions into Gaza and allow the passage of essential humanitarian aid and reconstruction material. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this, during a telephone conversation, with his counterpart on 25 November 2009. These concerns were also highlighted by the EU Foreign Ministers at their meeting on 8 December 2009.

Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Armstrong Formula was introduced in relation to peacekeeping costs; and when and for what reasons its usage was withdrawn.

David Miliband: The Armstrong formula was introduced in 1984 during a period of relative stability in UN peacekeeping. Vote responsibility for all peacekeeping operations rested with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and money was annually allocated to the FCO in the public expenditure survey to meet these costs. Under the Armstrong formula, in the event of an unforeseen increase that could not be met in-year from within existing funds, and subject to Treasury agreement, the FCO had recourse to Treasury's central contingency reserve.
	Peacekeeping activities increased sharply in the early and mid 1990s, and peace support operations became more complex, requiring a broader range of political, military, development and economic activities. In 2001 two new tri-departmental Conflict Prevention Pools (the Africa and Global Conflict Prevention Pools) were established with strands for both peacekeeping and programme activity. Under current arrangements, the first £374 million of assessed contributions are met by HM Treasury and costs above that are borne by FCO, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development from the Conflict Pools and/or from within departmental expenditure limits.

Russia: Detainees

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Russian government on President Medvedev's aim to reduce the level of legal nihilism in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary had detailed and wide ranging discussions with Foreign Minister Lavrov when he visited Moscow from 1-3 November 2009 including on the importance of the rule of law. I also discussed these issues during my recent meetings with Deputy Foreign Ministers Karasin and Grushko.
	We welcome President Medvedev's focus on the need to strengthen the rule of law in Russia, including his focus on tackling corruption and promoting the independence of the judiciary. Promoting the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary, is a key element of the UK's and EU's engagement with Russia. These issues were raised in the last EU/Russia human rights consultations on 5 November 2009. The annual UK/Russia bilateral human rights talks have enabled us to raise our concerns and we will do so again at the next talks planned for early 2010.
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently provides funding for work on preventing false charges from being made by law enforcement agencies and increasing awareness of the importance of complying with international human rights standards across the criminal justice system.

Security Companies

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to respond to the public consultation on promoting high standards of conduct by private military and security companies.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) launched a public consultation on the Government's proposed policy to promote high standards of conduct in the Private Military and Security Companies industry internationally on 24 April 2009.
	We received detailed responses from over 20 organisations and individuals. Officials have analysed these in detail. We will publish the final summary of responses, including a Government response to the contributions received, today, 16 December 2009, on the FCO website. This will be announced by a written ministerial statement laid before the House on the same day.

Security Companies

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his Department  (a) has had and  (b) is planning to have with US officials on regulation of private military and security companies in Iraq and Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has maintained a regular dialogue with US officials on the question of international regulation of private military and security companies (PMSCs), since June 2008. The US, UK and Swiss Governments in conjunction with industry representatives, relevant trade associations and non-governmental organisations have been working together to agree a set of draft international standards for the PMSC industry. We hope to agree these standards in the course of next year.

Sudan: War Crimes

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the International Criminal Court's citation of Sudan's President al-Bashir.

Ivan Lewis: We have a long-standing position of support for the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an independent judicial body, and also of not commenting substantively on its decisions. We have consistently urged the Government of Sudan to co-operate with the Court, and reiterated our support for peace in Sudan. We continue to monitor the situation closely, and to make clear our expectation that all countries should cooperate with the ICC investigation, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1593 of 2005, and the particular legal obligations of States Party to the ICC.

Travel Information

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has commissioned from  (a) within and  (b) outside his Department studies of the likely effectiveness of (i) his Department's Know Before You Go campaign and (ii) subsidiary campaigns undertaken since 2001.

Chris Bryant: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Know Before You Go campaign (including its subsidiary campaigns) is evaluated by external agencies on a six monthly basis to ensure targets are being met and that it effectively reaches the population. For example, in 2008-09 the campaign reached an estimated 64 per cent. of UK adults, in some cases up to 28.5 times. The report also evaluates value for money, such as number of people reached per £1 spent, and the advertising value equivalent of the campaign. The most recent evaluation showed the return on investment for the campaign as a whole to be over 16:1, i.e. every £1 spent achieved £16 worth of value. In addition, every 6 months a qualitative and quantitative survey is commissioned to monitor changes in travellers' behaviour and attitudes, as well as providing guidance for the future direction of the campaign.

Uganda: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what countries the Lords Resistance Army is active; and what recent representations he has made to try to effect a ceasefire in those areas.

Ivan Lewis: We assess that the largest concentration of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) is in the Central African Republic, with smaller numbers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.
	The UK will contribute $400,000 to the existing UN Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo disarmament, demobilisation and repatriation activities, which will be targeted towards encouraging the LRA to end hostilities. We continue to press for greater coordination between peacekeeping operations in the region in pursuing the LRA and to prioritise civilian protection activities.

WOMEN AND EQUALITY

Departmental Legislation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what criminal offences have been  (a) created and  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by the Government Equalities Office since 1 May 2008.

Maria Eagle: Since 1 May 2008, there have been no criminal offences,  (a) created or  (b) abolished by secondary legislation sponsored by the Government Equalities Office.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Devolution: Criminal Justice and Policing

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on the devolution of responsibility for criminal justice and policing to the Northern Ireland Assembly; and if he will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: Significant progress has been made by the political parties in Northern Ireland to address both the outstanding issues in relation to the completion of devolution of policing and justice and also, in parallel, those other issues arising from St. Andrews-most of which the House will know have already been completed.

Presbyterian Mutual Society

Mr. Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the Presbyterian Mutual Society.

Paul Goggins: The Chief Secretary and the Secretary of State are both members of the ministerial working group set up by the Prime Minister.
	They, along with Ministers from the Northern Ireland Executive, have been in regular contact in an attempt to find ways to assist members of the Society whose investments were affected by the Society's entry into administration.

Police Intelligence Gathering

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland on intelligence gathering by the police.

Paul Goggins: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has discussions with the ombudsman on a range of issues from time to time, but has had no recent discussions on intelligence-gathering.

Dissident Republicans

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the proportion of dissident republicans in Northern Ireland who were previously members of the Provisional IRA.

Shaun Woodward: The most recent IMC report indicated that a small number of ex-PIRA members are providing support to dissident groups. It is however clear from the report that PIRA as an organisation remains committed to a peaceful path.

People Trafficking

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has made a recent assessment of the extent to which people are trafficked between Northern Ireland and England.

Paul Goggins: Since the 1 April 2009 the PSNI have recovered 15 victims of human trafficking in Northern Ireland. Victims have travelled to Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK, from the Republic of Ireland and directly via international transit.

Irish Government Commission: Child Abuse

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received on the implications for Northern Ireland of the outcome of the Irish Government's commission to inquire into child abuse and other related inquiries; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: I have received a letter from the Northern Ireland Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety about this matter which I am currently considering. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has also received an email about this matter from a solicitor in Northern Ireland.

Christmas

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Christmas trees were purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of.

Paul Goggins: The following table shows how many Christmas trees were purchased by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including its arms length bodies but excluding its agencies, NDPBs and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland, in each of the last five years; the cost of those trees; and the process by which the trees were disposed of.
	
		
			   Number of trees  Total cost (£)  Disposal process 
			 2005-06 4 193 Chipped and recycled for mulch 
			 2006-07 4 244 Chipped and recycled for mulch 
			 2007-08 3 290 Chipped and recycled for mulch 
			 2008-09 2 195 Chipped and recycled for mulch 
			 2009-10 1 125 Chipped and recycled for mulch 
		
	
	The following table shows how many Christmas trees were purchased by the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland, in each of the last five years; the cost of those trees; and the process by which the trees were disposed of.
	
		
			   Number of trees  Total cost (£)  Disposal process 
			 2005-06 1 223 Disposed of by the supplier 
			 2006-07 4 1,763 Disposed of by the supplier 
			 2007-08 3 670 Disposed of by the supplier 
			 2008-09 0 0 n/a 
			 2009-10 0 0 n/a 
		
	
	During the defined five year period the PPS has changed from providing real Christmas trees to providing artificial trees.
	The following table shows how many Christmas trees were purchased by the Northern Ireland Prison Service, in each of the last five years; the cost of those trees; and the process by which the trees were disposed of.
	
		
			   Number of trees  Cost (£)  Disposal 
			 2005-06 0 0 n/a 
			 2006-07 0 0 n/a 
			 2007-08 1 125 Chipped 
			 2008-09 1 80 Chipped 
			 2009-10 2 370 Will be recycled as bark chippings 
		
	
	The Compensation Agency and Youth Justice Agency have had no expenditure on Christmas trees in each of the last five years.
	Information in relation to the Forensic Science Agency could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The names of suppliers cannot be disclosed for security reasons. Sustainability of the source of the trees is in the remit of the suppliers.

Departmental Conferences

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which conferences held overseas have been attended by civil servants based in his Department in the last three years; and what the cost to the public purse was of such attendance at each conference.

Paul Goggins: Conferences held overseas that have been attended by civil servants in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including its arms length bodies and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland (PPS) but excluding its agencies and NDPBs, in the last three years, and the cost to the public purse of attending these conferences, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Conference details  Cost (£) 
			 2006-07 North/South Conference on Criminal Justice-Limerick 270 
			  International Association of Prosecutors Conference-Netherlands(1) 1,264 
			  Counter Terrorism Cooperation-Paris(1) 542 
			  Cross Border Extradition-Dublin(1) 305 
			
			 2007-08 Domestic Abuse Conference, Raising the Standards-Guernsey 1,100 
			  International Association of Prosecutors Conference-Netherlands(1) 1,586 
			  Anti Fraud Office of the European Union (OLAF) Conference-Germany(1) 699 
			  Cross Border Cooperation in Counter Terrorism-Dublin(1) 491 
			  MOPED, Commonwealth DPP Conference-Australia(1) 4,151 
			
			 2008-09 International Conference on Cost of Crime-Milan 257 
			  European Evidence Warrant: The Acquisition and Admissibility of Foreign Evidence-Dublin 1,174 
			  Anti Fraud Office of the European Union (OLAF) Conference-Dublin(1) 0 
			  Extradition Seminar-Rome(1) 581 
			  9th Annual Republic of Ireland National Prosecutors Conference-Dublin(1) 143 
			 (1) Relate to the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland. 
		
	
	Additional expenses may have been paid through expense claim forms but this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	All expenditure has to be incurred in accordance with the principals of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many plasma screen televisions his Department has purchased since 2001; and what the cost has been of purchasing and installing such screens in each such year.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including its arms length bodies and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its agencies and NDPBs, had expenditure on plasma screen televisions in two financial years since 2001. The expenditure, including installation costs, is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of plasma screen televisions  At cost of £ 
			 2003-04 2 3,195 
			 2008-09 1 645.00 
		
	
	All expenditure has to be incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Sick Leave

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days sickness absence were taken by staff in his Department in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the cost to his Department was of such absence.

Paul Goggins: The following table shows the number of working days lost from April 2009 to October 2009 and the cost to the Northern Ireland Office based on figures provided by Northern Ireland Statistics Research Agency.
	
		
			   Total number of working days lost overall  Overall cost (£) 
			 April 2009 972.8 83,837 
			 May 2009 920.7 77,723 
			 June 2009 1,075.2 108,357 
			 July 2009 916.1 93,572 
			 August 2009 1,050.7 101,502 
			 September 2009 1,303.4 122,897 
			 October 2009 1,198.3 117,459

Departmental Taxis

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many miles  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in his Department have travelled by taxi in the course of their official duties in each year since 1997; and at what cost to the public purse in each such year.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), including its arms length bodies and the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland but excluding its agencies and NDPBs, does not record information on miles travelled by taxi so cannot provide an answer to this part of the question.
	The NIO Departmental Disposal policy states that financial records do not have to be held longer than seven years. The following table shows the expenditure on taxi fares where costs have been charged to the taxi expenditure code used for invoiced taxi costs from 2003-04 to 2008-09, the last six complete financial years.
	Each member of staff is advised that, before any business related journey is made, the most cost-effective means of transport must be considered. Where the use of public transport or private car is not possible or economic, then the journey may be made by taxi.
	
		
			   Ministers  Officials 
			 2003-04 1,090 18,123 
			 2004-05 754 24,102 
			 2005-06 31 24,234 
			 2006-07 0 28,031 
			 2007-08 0 42,455 
			 2008-09 34 77,736 
		
	
	The increase in expenditure on taxis in the NIO followed a review in 2007 when the Department adopted a policy which made greater use of taxis rather than private hire cars. While this change in policy has led to an increase in the cost of taxis, it has generated estimated whole year net savings of £ 150,000.
	Further taxi fares were claimed as reimbursable expenses but due to the processes involved in making these payments, costs can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The NIO keeps the cost of travel on official business under regular review.

Hotels

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation for  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table shows how much the Northern Ireland Office, including the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland, and excluding its agencies and NDPBs has spent on hotel accommodation for  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  £ 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Ministers (1)- (1)- (1)- 1,889 5,852 
			 Special Advisers (1)- (1)- (1)- 230 806 
			 Civil servants (1)- (1)- (1)- 198,482 200,335 
			 (1) Figures not available prior to 2007-08. 
		
	
	Up until 2006-07, hotel expenditure was included within night subsistence costs. To extract only hotel costs in these years would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £750.
	Travel by Ministers, special advisers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively.
	Details on overseas visits undertaken by Ministers costing over £500 can also be found on the Cabinet Office website by using the following link:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/propriety_and_ethics/ministers/travel_gifts.aspx

Human Rights Commission: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what payments the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has made to Stratagem in the last 12 months; for what purpose; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

Shaun Woodward: No payments have been made by the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to Stratagem in the last 12 months. On 27 October 2008 the Commission paid Stratagem the sum of £411.25 (£350 plus VAT) for an annual subscription for monthly political updates covering the period 1 August 2008 to 21 July 2009. The service included updates on parliamentary business supplied to staff members by email and SMS. This subscription was not subsequently renewed at the expiry date.

Terrorism

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the level of activity of dissident Republicans in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: As the most recent IMC report confirmed, Dissident Republicans continue to pose a serious threat. However, the devolution of policing and justice has been recognised as a potent intervention in allowing Northern Ireland to move forward.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to respond to question  (a) 304525 and  (b) 304526 on devolution of criminal justice and policing, tabled on 1 December 2009.

Paul Goggins: These questions were both answered on 10 December 2009,  Official Report, column 533W.

JUSTICE

Cemeteries: Islam

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what conclusions his Department drew from its 2007 Survey of Burial Grounds regarding cemetery provision for Islamic burial sites in London;
	(2)  what plans there are for future burial site provision for Islamic people in London;
	(3)  what steps his Department has taken following its 2007 Survey of Burial Grounds in respect of cemetery provision for Islamic burial sites in London.

Bridget Prentice: Provision of burial space in general is a matter for decision by local authorities and other local providers. This Department has no role in that process, but our Guide for Burial Ground Managers encourages consideration to be given, wherever possible, to setting aside areas within cemeteries for use by particular faith communities. Responses to the burial ground survey did not permit any valid conclusions to be drawn as to the level or adequacy of burial space for Muslims either in London, or in England and Wales as a whole, but that was not its primary purpose.

Convictions: Young People

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many children under the age of 16 years have been convicted of criminal offences in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons aged 10 to 15 years found guilty of criminal offences in all courts in England and Wales, from 2003 to 2007 (latest available) is provided in the following table.
	Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  The number of persons aged 10 to 15 years found guilty at all courts for all offences, England and Wales 2003-07( 1,2) 
			   Number 
			 2003 33,484 
			 2004 35,656 
			 2005 37,121 
			 2006 37,300 
			 2007 38,761 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Crime

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 11 November 2009,  Official Report, column 470W, on crime, how many people were  (a) found guilty at all courts and  (b) cautioned for all offences in (i) 1987 and (ii) 1988.

Maria Eagle: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend (Claire Ward) on 11 November 2009,  Official Report, column 470W.

Data Protection

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will bring forward legislation to make custodial sentences mandatory for serious offences of breach of privacy and confidentiality through negligent loss, sale or abuse of personal data.

Michael Wills: There are no plans to do so. The Government do not believe that mandatory custodial sentences are appropriate other than in exceptional circumstances: it is the function of the Court to decide the sentence in each individual case, subject to the maximum that Parliament has provided and any guidelines that may be laid down by the Sentencing Guidelines Council or the Court of Appeal.
	However, the Government are consulting on the introduction of custodial sentences as a potential sanction for individuals who commit offences relating to the knowing or reckless misuse of personal data under section 55 of the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The consultation also seeks views on introducing a defence for those who can show that they acted for journalistic, artistic or literary purposes with a view to publishing journalistic, literary or artistic material, in the reasonable belief that they acted in the public interest. The consultation closes on 7 January 2010 and can be viewed at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/misuse-personal-data.htm
	The Government have also recently launched a consultation on setting the maximum level for a Civil Monetary Penalty that the Information Commissioner could serve on data controllers who commit serious contraventions of the data protection principles, as set out in the DPA. The consultation closes on 21 December 2009 and can be viewed at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/consultations/civil-monetary-penalties-consultation.htm

Departmental Manpower

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff of his Department were in its redeployment pool on 1  (a) January,  (b) April,  (c) July and  (d) October 2009.

Michael Wills: All staff seeking redeployment are gainfully employed and undertaking roles within the Ministry. They are engaged in work contributing to the delivery of public services, including core frontline activities, policy and project work and other operational roles. The number of staff who were actively seeking permanent redeployment are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Reporting month  Total number of staff actively seeking permanent redeployment( 1) 
			 January 2009 (2)33 
			 April 2009 (2)23 
			 July 2009 246 
			 October 2009 219 
			 (1) The figures above comprise both full-time and part-time staff (2) The data provided for 1 January and 1 April 2009, excludes redeployees from the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) because during this period there was at the time no system in place for recording such staff.

Jersey: EC law

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when officials of his Department last met representatives of the authorities in Jersey to discuss the implementation of the  (a) Food Supplements Directive and  (b) Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation.

Michael Wills: Ministry of Justice officials last met representatives of the authorities in Jersey to discuss the implementation of the Food Supplements Directive and the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation on 14 September 2009.

Judges: Sentencing

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what training judges receive on consistency in sentencing; what steps he  (a) has taken in the last three years and  (b) plans to take to encourage consistency in sentencing; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidelines his Department has issued to judges on consistency of sentencing since December 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The responsibility for judicial training lies with the Lord Chief Justice as head of the judiciary and is exercised through the independent Judicial Studies Board (JSB).
	Sentencing is an independent function and judges and magistrates are responsible for making decisions in individual cases subject to the statutory framework laid down by Parliament. All those who pass a sentence will also consider relevant case law, Court of Appeal decisions and any guidelines issued by the independent Sentencing Guidelines Council.
	Training for both judges and magistrates seeks to promote a consistent approach to decision making, and uses sentencing exercises to give judges the opportunity to discuss the issues involved.
	Responsibility for issuing sentencing guidelines rests with the Sentencing Guidelines Council, not the Government. The Council was set up under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and is an independent body chaired by the Lord Chief Justice. In framing or revising sentencing guidelines the Council must have regard to the need to promote consistency in sentencing. The Sentencing Council for England and Wales, created by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 as an independent body, will replace the Sentencing Advisory Panel and the Sentencing Guidelines Council with a significantly expanded remit.
	Subject to Parliament's approval of the relevant orders provided for in the Coroners and Justice Act, it is expected that the Sentencing Council for England and Wales will be established by April 2010. The Sentencing Council will encourage greater consistency in sentencing as courts will be obliged to follow relevant guidelines published by the Council unless it would be contrary to the interests of justice to do so, and must include reference to those guidelines when explaining why a sentence given is significantly different from that guideline.

Legal Services Commission: Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what payments the Legal Services Commission has made to Positif Politics Ltd in the last 12 months; for what purposes; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments were made.

Bridget Prentice: The Legal Services Commission in Wales (as a non devolved body) has a contract with Positif Politics Ltd to track Welsh Assembly Government business. The purpose of the contract with Postif Politics is to ensure that the Legal Services Commission is kept up to date with developments in the National Assembly and Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) that might have an impact on the provision of legal aid services for Welsh citizens. The LSC jurisdiction is across England and Wales and most changes in law and process that have an impact on legal aid derive from Westminster. However many of the issues that can have an impact on social welfare law services are devolved matters for the Assembly Government.
	The current contract covers the period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2009 at a total cost of £4,365.
	A copy of the contract will be placed in the Library.

Police Cautions and Convictions

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people  (a) were convicted and  (b) received a caution for offences of (i) perverting the course of justice, (ii) attempting to pervert the course of justice and (iii) wasting police time in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years; and how many and what proportion in each such category were convicted or cautioned as a result of having been found to have made false complaints of rape or other sexual assault.

Maria Eagle: The number of persons found guilty at all courts in England and Wales for perjury, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and wasting police time, from 1998 to 2007 (latest available) is given in Table 1. The number of cautions issued for these offences is given in Table 2.
	Statistical information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice on the Cautions and Court Proceedings Database for England and Wales does not identify the circumstances of the offence. Therefore it is not possible to separately identify those cautions or convictions that have arisen from complaints of rape or other sexual assault.
	Cautions and court proceedings data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
	
		
			  Table 1: The number of persons found guilty at all courts of perjury, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and wasting police time, England and Wales 1998 to 2007( 1,2) 
			  Statute  Offence description  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Perjury Act 1911, s.1; Criminal Justice Act 1967, s.89; Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, s.106; Criminal Justice Act 1925, s.36; County Courts Act 1984, s.133; mental Health Act 1983, s. 126(4); Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969, s.12(2) (part); Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, s.75. Perjury and false statements (also false declarations and representations made punishable by any statute). 175 114 135 92 81 108 145 126 91 91 
			 Common Law. Attempting to pervert the course of public justice (fabrication of false evidence, causing person to be wrongly convicted, interference with witness)(3) 1,803 1,780 1,629 1,798 1,549 1,391 1,311 1,271 1,304 1,172 
			 Criminal Law Act 1967, s.5(2). Causing wasteful employment of the police etc. 57 53 81 72 62 66 111 133 160 225 
			 Total  2,035 1,947 1,845 1,962 1,692 1,565 1,567 1,530 1,555 1,488 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Does not include: intimidating a juror or witness or person assisting in investigation of offence or harming or threatening to harm a witness, juror or person assisting in investigation.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: The number of persons cautioned'( 1)  for perjury, attempting to pervert the course of public justice, and wasting police time, England and Wales 1998 to 2007( 2) 
			  Statute  Offence description  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 Perjury Act 1911, s.1; Criminal Justice Act 1967, s.89; Magistrates' Courts Act 1980, s.106; Criminal Justice Act 1925, s.36; County Courts Act 1984, s.133; mental Health Act1983, s. 126(4); Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act1969, s.12(2) (part); Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, s.75. Perjury and false statements (also false declarations and representations made punishable by any statute). 42 37 17 11 17 26 39 26 44 46 
			 Common Law. Attempting to pervert the course of public justice (fabrication of false evidence, causing person to be wrongly convicted, interference with witness)(3) 316 312 259 226 202 283 311 377 405 286 
			 Criminal Law Act 1967, s.5(2). Causing wasteful employment of the police etc. 117 108 96 78 98 110 166 202 288 371 
			 Total  475 457 372 315 317 419 516 605 737 703 
			 (1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence. From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1988 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These are included in the totals. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Does not include: intimidating a juror or witness or person assisting in investigation of offence or harming or threatening to harm a witness, juror or person assisting in investigation.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services-Ministry of Justice

Police: Sentencing

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what  (a) representations he has received from and  (b) discussions he has had with police forces on sentencing policy since December 2008; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Green Paper Engaging Communities in Criminal Justice, published in April 2009, contained questions relating to sentencing policy (e.g. reviews of community sentences, and content of those sentences). Responses on those points were received from police forces. There are also ongoing discussions with police forces of criminal justice issues, including sentencing where relevant, across the range of criminal justice forums on which the police are represented.

Prisons: Television

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have access to satellite television broadcasts in their cells.

Maria Eagle: No public sector prisoners have access to satellite television in their cells as no public sector prisons have in cell satellite television. Five contracted prisons have access to a limited number of satellite television channels in cell: Altcourse, Dovegate, Lowdham Grange, Parc and Rye Hill. In these establishments, satellite television in cell is generally only available to prisoners who are on the Enhanced or Standard level of the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme. This means that numbers of prisoners with access may change on a daily basis. At 10 December 2009 this figure was approximately 4,070.

Public Contracts Regulations 2006

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment his Department has made of the implications of the new plea negotiations guidelines for implementation of regulation 23 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006, with regard to mandatory exclusion.

Vera Baird: I have been asked to reply.
	The Attorney-General's Guidelines on Plea Discussions in cases of Serious or Complex Fraud, which provide a framework within which prosecutors and defence can discuss the issues in a case from an early stage to narrow issues or to reach agreement about acceptable pleas of guilty to criminal offences, do not affect the operation of the law.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offences have been committed by those on home detention curfews since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The table gives the number of offences committed by offenders while on HDC between 2003-04 and 2007-08.
	
		
			   Number of offenders on HDC( 1)  Number of reoffences( 2) 
			 2003-04 20,802 2,307 
			 2004-05 18,587 1,533 
			 2005-06 15,443 1,176 
			 2006-07 12,626 822 
			 2007-08 11,316 820 
			 (1 )Offenders starting HDC during the quarter; excludes offenders who were listed in the prison data but could not be found on the PNC. 2 The total number offences committed whilst on HDC that resulted in a conviction or caution within nine months of the end of the quarter. 
		
	
	Data prior to 2003-04 are not available.
	The latest figures on reoffending while on home detention curfew were released by this Department in a written ministerial statement on 14 September 2009,  Official Report, columns 142-44WS, and can be found at
	http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090914/wmstextV90914m0001.htm

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) murders and  (b) other crimes of violence against the person have been committed by those released from prison on early release since 1997.

Maria Eagle: Determinate sentenced prisoners may be released into the community earlier than the halfway point of their sentence only under either the End of Custody Licence (ECL) Scheme or the Home Detention Curfew Scheme (HDC). Indeterminate sentenced prisoners are not eligible for early release.
	Data on ECL releases, recalls and alleged re-offending is published every month on the following website:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/endofcustodylicence.htm
	From 29 June 2007 to 31 October 2009, 1,098 offenders released on ECL have been notified as alleged to have committed a further offence. These offenders were alleged to have committed 1,458 offences, of which 306 were violent offences. These figures include two offenders released on ECL who were subsequently convicted of murder.
	The number of violent offences committed by offenders while on HDC between 2003-04 and 2007-08 is shown in table 2 as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			  Offence Category  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08 
			 Violence against the person 74 47 50 40 60 
		
	
	In addition to the cases shown in the table above, there were two prisoners released onto the HDC scheme and who were subsequently convicted of murder.
	Data prior to 2003-04 is not available in a comparable audited format. To provide the full set of information from 1997 would require manual checking of files, which could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.
	The latest figures on reoffending while on HDC were released by this Department in a written ministerial statement on 14 September 2009 and can be found at:
	http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090914/wmstext/90914m0001.htm
	The figures relate to offenders who have committed an offence during their period on HDC resulting in a caution or conviction. The figures relate only to those offences where the caution or conviction was given within nine months of the end of the quarter in which the offender commenced the HDC scheme.
	There are cases of further serious offending whereby the nature of the offence leads to court cases taking longer than nine months to conclude.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people charged with offences since 1997 had previously been released from prison on parole.

Maria Eagle: The data held by the Ministry of Justice does not enable us to identify people who have been charged with an offence and who had previously been released from prison on parole.

Young Offender Institutions: Social Workers

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many social worker posts there are in young offender institutions; and how many such posts are vacant.

Maria Eagle: There are currently 22.5 social worker posts in young offender institutions and dedicated units for young women. 11.5 of these posts are vacant.

Youth Offending Teams: Finance

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on youth offending teams since their inception.

Maria Eagle: Youth offending teams (YOTs) receive funding from a number of sources. The following table shows financial contributions made to YOTs via the Youth Justice Board (YJB). Funding from the YJB includes Ministry of Justice, Department for Children Schools and Families and Home Office Funding.
	
		
			   Funding to youth offending team (£) 
			 2008-09 138,557,446.44 
			 2007-08 126,762,030.45 
			 2006-07 118,481,712.61 
			 2005-06 98,333,746.98 
			 2004-05 85,794,467.01 
			 2003-04 84,308,627.49 
			 2002-03 83,332,631.38 
			 2001-02 61,598,291.02 
			 2000-01 28,599,649.69 
			 1999-2000 27,786,283.98 
		
	
	YOTs also receive funding from other Government sources at local level (including police, probation, social services and via local authorities).
	The data contained in this answer are supplied by the YJB and is taken from their annual accounts.

CABINET OFFICE

Central Office of Information: Hotels

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Central Office of Information has spent on hotel accommodation for its staff in each of the last five years.

Tessa Jowell: I have asked the chief executive of the Central Office of Information to reply to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Mark Lund, dated December 2009:
	on hotel accommodation.
	The Central Office of Information (COI) spent £83,643 on hotel accommodation for the last financial year that is available, 2008/9.
	Central records for the preceding years do not specifically separate hotel accommodation from the rest of travel and subsistence and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	COI have offices throughout the UK. It also organises events nationwide as well as abroad which increases the need for overnight accommodation. This is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code respectively.

Charities Act 2006

John Leech: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate has been made of the cost of  (a) the time of civil servants in her Department of the introduction of the Charities Act 2006 and  (b) (i) consultation and (ii) publication of guidance in association with the Act.

Angela Smith: Disaggregated costs associated with the introduction of the Charities Act 2006 are not held centrally, and no estimate has been made of the costs to the Cabinet Office of implementing the Act. There are currently three civil servants in the Office of the Third Sector, working on the implementation of the Act, which has included several consultations on secondary legislation, and the preparation of guidance. The Charity Commission, as independent regulator of charities in England and Wales has a significant role in implementing the Charities Act 2006 and has updated its guidance to reflect the Act.
	The Act contains a statutory requirement for a review of its operation to begin within five years of Royal Assent. The review, which will include an assessment of the Act's implementation, must also be laid in Parliament.

Charities: Fraud

Graham Brady: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent steps her Department has taken to stop the activities of bogus charity collectors.

Angela Smith: The issue of bogus charity collectors is something this Government take very seriously. While enforcement action is a matter for the police and local authorities, we co-ordinated a Give With Care campaign through the Office of the Third Sector to increase awareness of bogus clothing collections in 2007, and we are planning a further campaign in the near future. In addition we funded the start up of the Fundraising Standards Board and work closely with them to promote responsible fundraising practice.

Charity Commission: Hotels

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Charity Commission for England and Wales has spent on hotel accommodation for its staff in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Charity Commission. I have asked the Commission to reply.
	 Letter from Andrew Hind, 9 December 2009:
	As the Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, I have been asked to respond to your written Parliamentary Question on how much the Charity Commission for England and Wales has spent on hotel accommodation for its staff in each of the last five years (305708).
	We keep figures for hotels booked through our central procurement system, which are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005 176,910 
			 2006 136,998 
			 2007 116,796 
			 2008 102,986 
			 2009 176,181 
		
	
	However, not all Commission staff use this system as it is also possible to book hotels directly. These costs are included in travel and subsistence claims and Government Procurement Card payments, which we do not routinely break down. This would have to be calculated manually and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	In the past year we have encouraged staff to make more use of the central procurement system, which accounts for the recent increase in costs shown above.
	I hope this information is helpful.

Death: Obesity

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people between  (a) 35 and 45,  (b) 46 and 55 and  (c) 56 and 65 years old died of diseases related to obesity in (i) England and (ii) Milton Keynes in each year since 2000.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people between (a) 35 and 45, (b) 46 and 55 and (c) 56 and 65 years old died of diseases related to obesity in (i) England and (ii) Milton Keynes in each year since 2000. (308084)
	The tables attached provide the number of deaths where obesity was the underlying cause of death (Table 1), and where obesity was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor (Table 2), for persons aged between (a) 35 and 45 years, (b) 46 and 55 years and (c) 56 and 65 years, in (i) England and (ii) Milton Keynes unitary authority, for the years 2000 to 2008 (the latest year available).
	It is not possible to identify all deaths 'related' to obesity. For example, obesity may play an important role in deaths due to heart disease or diabetes, but it is rarely recorded on the death certificate. The figures presented in Tables 1 and 2 are therefore likely to underestimate the actual number of deaths in which obesity is involved.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths where obesity was the underlying cause of death( 1)  by age group( 2) , England( 3)  and Milton Keynes unitary authority( 4) , 2000-08( 5) 
			  Deaths (Persons) 
			   England  Milton Keynes 
			   (a)  35-45  (b)  46-55  (c)  56-65  (a)  35-45  (b)  46-55  (c)  56-65 
			 2000 28 25 35 0 0 0 
			 2001 25 38 35 0 0 0 
			 2002 24 40 35 0 0 0 
			 2003 33 47 54 0 0 1 
			 2004 31 40 65 0 0 0 
			 2005 29 51 58 0 0 2 
			 2006 36 53 63 0 1 0 
			 2007 30 60 49 0 0 1 
			 2008 48 70 74 0 0 0 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 278.0 (Obesity) for the year 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code E66 (Obesity) for 2001 onwards. (2) There are 11 years within age group  (a) and 10 years within age groups  (b) and  (c), so the figures are not completely comparable. (3) Figures for England exclude deaths of non-residents. (4) Based on boundaries as of 2009. (5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2 : Number of deaths where  obesity was mentioned anywhere on the  death  certificate( 1)  by age group( 2) , England( 3)  and Milton Keynes unitary authority( 4) , 2000-08( 5) 
			  Deaths (Persons) 
			   England  Milton Keynes 
			   (a)  35-45  (b)  46-55  (c)  56-65  (a)  35-45  (b)  46-55  (c)  56-65 
			 2000 75 121 162 0 0 2 
			 2001 71 141 146 0 0 0 
			 2002 72 129 178 0 0 0 
			 2003 96 162 207 1 0 1 
			 2004 102 154 241 0 0 2 
			 2005 101 155 276 1 0 2 
			 2006 113 184 285 1 1 0 
			 2007 117 222 316 0 1 1 
			 2008 129 257 371 0 3 1 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 278.0 (Obesity) for the year 2000 and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code E66 (Obesity) for 2001 onwards. Figures are included where obesity was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor. (2) There are 11 years within age group  (a) and 10 years within age groups  (b) and  (c), so the figures are not completely comparable. (3) Figures for England exclude deaths of non-residents. (4) Based on boundaries as of 2009. (5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Death: Smoking

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people have died of smoking-related diseases in  (a) England and  (b) Milton Keynes in each year since 2000.

Angela Smith: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated December 2009:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people have died of smoking-related diseases in  (a) England and  (b) Milton Keynes in each year since 2000. (308083)
	Deaths due to smoking-related diseases cannot be directly calculated, as smoking status is not recorded on the death certificate. However, research published by the then Health Development Agency in 2004(1) suggested that, in the period 1998 to 2002, an annual average of 86,500 deaths among persons aged 35 and over were estimated to be attributable to smoking in England(1).
	From 2007 onwards, the NHS Information Centre has published an annual report containing similar estimates for England. These reports state that in 2005(2), an estimated 81,900 deaths among persons aged 35 and over in England were attributable to smoking. In 2007(3) the equivalent estimated number of deaths was 82,900, and in 2008(4) it was 83,900. Comparable figures for 2003, 2004 and 2006 are not available.
	Figures for the number of people dying of smoking-related diseases in Milton Keynes unitary authority are not available for any years.
	(1) The report published by the Health Development Agency is available at:
	http://www:nice.org.uk/aboutnice/whoweare/aboutthehda/hdapublications/smoking_epidemic_england.jsp
	(2) The 2007 report published by the NHS Information Centre is available at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-and-lifestyles/smoking/statistics-on-smoking-england-2007-%5Bns%5D
	(3) The 2008 report published by the NHS Information Centre is available at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/smoking08
	(4) The 2009 report published by the NHS Information Centre is available at:
	http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/smoking09

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much was spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in the Leader of the House's Office in her Department's buildings in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: No expenditure has been incurred on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in the Leader of the House of Commons' office in the last 12 months.

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much her Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in her Department's buildings in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: No expenditure on works or refurbishment to Cabinet Office Ministers' offices in Cabinet Office buildings has been made in the last 12 months.

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much her Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to the Minister for the Olympics in the last 12 months.

Tessa Jowell: No expenditure on works or refurbishment to offices allocated to the Minister for the Olympics has been made in the last 12 months.

Departmental Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside her Department's building attended by civil servants in her Department there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not held centrally and therefore is available only at disproportionate cost.
	All Cabinet Office expenditure on away days is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity  Propriety.
	The Cabinet Office does not have a specific financial policy on the attending of conferences. The budget for such expenditure is delegated to Heads of Groups/Management Units. As with awayday spend any expenditure on conferences is also based on principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the energy  (a) rating and  (b) band of 10 Downing Street was in each year for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer previously given to the hon. Member on 10 December 2009,  Official Report, column 594W.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Sarah Teather: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 her Department received in 2008; and how many of these received a substantive response within 20 days.

Angela Smith: Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice on Freedom of Information in central government for 2008 show that of a total of 870 non-routine requests received by the Department (based on aggregated quarterly data) 86 per cent. (748) received a substantive response within 20 days. 95 per cent. (823) of requests were dealt with 'in time', that is within 20 days by meeting the deadline or other permitted extension deadline.
	The statistics can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformationquarterly.htm
	and copies are available in the Library of the House.

Departmental Manpower

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many staff of her Department were in its redeployment pool on 1  (a) January,  (b) April,  (c) July and  (d) October 2009.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office operates a brokerage service to provide support to staff who are without a permanent role as a result of organisational change or because they have reached the end of work on a project. All staff without a permanent role are allocated to project or interim work while they are seeking a permanent role.
	
		
			  Cabinet Office staff without a permanent role at:  Number 
			  (a) 1 January 2009 15 
			  (b) 1 April 2009 13 
			  (c) 1 July 2009 36 
			  (d) 1 October 2009 22

Departmental Responsibilities

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the official engagements of the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury were on 21 November 2009.

Tessa Jowell: I am not responsible for the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury.

Departmental Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much her Department spent on away days in the last 12 months; and what the  (a) subject and  (b) location of each away day was.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not held centrally and therefore is available only at disproportionate cost.
	All Cabinet Office expenditure on away days is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity and Propriety.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many meetings the Natural Hazards Team has had since its establishment.

Tessa Jowell: The Natural Hazards team was established within the Cabinet Office in May 2009 to develop and oversee the critical Infrastructure Resilience programme, targeted to improve the resilience of critical infrastructure and essential services to severe disruption by natural hazards.
	Since being established, the team have developed the programme through meetings with stakeholders from across Government, regulators, industry and academia. The number of such meetings is not recorded.

Government Communications Review

Nick Hurd: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether each Department has implemented the Phillis Review recommendation that it should conduct an annual review of the effectiveness of its communications; and who holds the report of each such review which has taken place.

Tessa Jowell: Substantial progress has been made towards implementing the findings of the Phillis Review and all the key recommendations have been taken forward. As part of the response to the recommendations made by the House of Lords Committee on Government Communication January 2009, The Permanent Secretary, Government Communication is working with departmental directors of Communication to establish mechanisms to report on the effectiveness of Government Communication.

Government Departments: Computer Software

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made in implementing the Government Action Plan Open Source, Open Standards and Re-Use; and what  (a) metrics and  (b) delivery mechanisms she has established to monitor implementation of the action plan.

Angela Smith: The Open Source, Open Standards and Re-use Action Plan was published in February 2009 as Government policy-focussing on ensuring value for money for taxpayers. Cabinet Office does not gather centralised data regarding software procurement, as this is the responsibility of individual Accounting Officers.
	The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is currently developing guidance for the procurement of open source and is working with departments and local authorities that have successfully implemented open source applications, to share best practice and effective methods for procurement.
	A recent survey undertaken by OGC and Buying Solutions (the national Public Buying Organisation) highlighted that progress on implementation is already being made. For example:
	Over 25 per cent. of secondary schools use the Linux operating system on at least one computer.
	35 per cent. of NHS organisations (over 300,000 users) are supported on a Linux infrastructure as the NHS 'Spine' uses an open source operating system, and
	All staff and public PCs in Birmingham City Council's library services now have a mixture of open source and proprietary software.

Government Departments: Telephone Services

Mark Oaten: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what responses the Contact Council received to the enquiries which it made of each Government Department in June 2009 on departments' plans for using 030 numbers in place of 084 numbers for helplines; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 30 November 2009
	The Contact Council has not directly asked departments to outline their plans for using 030 numbers in place of 084 numbers for helplines. It has, however, issued to all Contact Council members (representatives of central departments, local authorities and other bodies) a clarification statement on telephone number ranges in May this year. This statement explained the characteristics of the 084, 087 and 03 number ranges so that central departments in particular might make their own informed choice about which range(s) best meets the needs of all their customer groups.
	Specifically in connection with this statement, the Council asked its central department representatives to confirm whether they retain any additional revenue as a result of using 084/087 numbers and to outline which ranges (not necessarily 03) best suit the services they provide to their customers.
	Most major customer facing departments have answered these questions, and the remaining departments is in process of doing so. Once the outstanding response has been received the Council will analyse all response with a view to recommending ways of increasing the uptake of the 03 range where appropriate.

Hotels

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much was spent on hotel accommodation for  (a) the Prime Minister and  (b) No. 10 Downing Street (i) special advisers and (ii) civil servants in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The Prime Minister's Office is an integral part of Cabinet Office. The information requested for the Cabinet Office is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Ministerial Appointments

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 8 December 2009, on the list of Ministerial Responsibilities, and with reference to the answer from the Secretary of State for Defence of 9 November 2009,  Official Report, column 83W, on Ministers, on what date  (a) the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor,  (b) the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,  (c) the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and  (d) the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families were first appointed to the Cabinet; how the List of Ministerial Responsibilities reflects these dates of appointment; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The dates of appointments of Ministers to the Cabinet are a matter of public record, details of which are available from the Library of the House. I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer to the hon. Member of 8 December,  Official Report, column 251w about the listing of Cabinet Ministers in the List of Ministerial Responsibilities.

National School of Government: Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside the National School of Government's buildings attended by civil servants in the National School of Government there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Angela Smith: This is a matter for the National School of Government. I have asked the principal and chief executive to assist by writing to you.
	 Letter from Rod Clark, dated December 2009:
	In the Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 9 January 2007 (Official Report Col 5WS), the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Pat McFadden MP) announced that the National School of Government was now a Non Ministerial Department. Consequently, the Minister for the Cabinet Office has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about the National School of Government.
	The information requested is not held centrally and is not easy to collect and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

National School of Government: Hotels

Anne Main: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the National School of Government has spent on hotel accommodation for its officials in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: This is a matter for the National School of Government. I have asked the principal and chief executive to assist by writing to you.
	 Letter from Rod Clark, dated December 2009:
	In the Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 9 January 2007 (Official Report Col 5WS), the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Pat McFadden MP) announced that the National School of Government was now a Non Ministerial Department. Consequently, the Minister for the Cabinet Office has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about the National School of Government.
	The National School's finance system does not separately identify the amount of expenditure on hotel accommodation for the School's staff. We can identify the amount of subsistence that we have paid in respect of staff split between the United Kingdom and overseas. This will include hotel accommodation plus also the cost of meals and any incidental allowances paid within HMRC rules. The expenditure was incurred in the normal course of the School's business of providing learning and development and consultancy services on a cost-recovery basis to the civil service, wider public sector, voluntary and private sectors and overseas.
	
		
			   UK  Overseas  Total 
			 2004/05 104,046 62,184 166,230 
			 2005/06 121,172 54,423 175,595 
			 2006/07 58,170 51,413 109,583 
			 2007/08 71,620 87,565 159,186 
			 2008/09 118,053 52,348 170,402 
			 2009/10 part year 47,284 32,406 79,690 
		
	
	In addition to the above amounts we have also paid hotels, conference centres and other venues for the accommodation of students on learning and development events. Inclusive in some of these payments would be the costs of staff necessarily staying with the students - these costs are not separately identified.

National School of Government: Internet

David Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what redesigns of websites operated by the National School of Government have been carried out since 27 June 2007; and what the  (a) cost to the public purse and  (b) date of completion of each such redesign was.

Angela Smith: This is a matter for the National School of Government. I have asked the principal and chief executive to assist by writing to you.
	 Letter from Rod Clark, dated December 2009:
	In the Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 9 January 2007 (Official Report Col 5WS), the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Pat McFadden MP) announced that the National School of Government was now a Non Ministerial Department. Consequently, the Minister for the Cabinet Office has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about the National School of Government.
	The National School of Government's internet website has been re-designed once since 27th June 2007 and was completed by March 2008. The cost was £27,683.

Voluntary Work: Religion

John Battle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent steps her Department has taken to encourage volunteering with faith organisations.

Angela Smith: The Office of the Third Sector is committed to working towards a society where all individuals and communities are enabled to volunteer.
	Through the Capacitybuilders programme the Office of the Third Sector is providing Volunteering England with £1.4 million between 2008 to 2011 to deliver improved support to volunteer involving organisations. Part of Volunteering England's work is to support volunteering within faith based organisations. Volunteering England is working with the youth volunteering charity v to fund six volunteering projects within faith based organisations. The aim of these projects is to improve the way that faith based organisations receive support in the areas of volunteer recruitment and retention.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Affordable Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed Rent to Homebuy transactions there have been to date.

John Healey: Provisional data from the Homes and Communities Agency show that there were 1,899 rent to homebuy completions up to end September 2009.

Affordable Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many completed sales there have been under the Social Homebuy scheme since April 2006; and how much had been spent on that scheme on the latest date for which figures are available.

John Healey: Between April 2006 and 30 September 2009, there were 328 completed social homebuy sales.
	Social homebuy is a voluntary demand-led scheme. Registered social landlords who choose to offer the scheme to their tenants bid to the Homes and Communities Agency for grant to cover the discount offered to the tenant. From April 2006 to end September 2009, spend through the National Affordable Housing programme totalled £3.6 million.
	No funding is provided to local authorities offering the scheme other than £132,770 given to help early pilots with development and set-up costs in 2006-07.

Affordable Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition his Department uses of a Rent to HomeBuy  (a) sale and  (b) completion.

John Healey: A rent to homebuy completion is recorded when the building is ready for occupation, and a sale is recorded when a rent to homebuy tenant buys a share of the property, following an initial rental period which can be up to five years.

Affordable Housing

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new affordable housing units were completed in  (a) Leeds West,  (b) West Yorkshire and  (c) England in each year since 2001.

Ian Austin: Data are not available for parliamentary constituencies. Information for Leeds, West Yorkshire and England is as follows:
	
		
			  Additional affordable dwellings provided 2000-01 to 2008-09 
			   Leeds  West Yorkshire  England 
			 2000-01 200 740 33,160 
			 2001-02 450 920 33,020 
			 2002-03 310 730 32,920 
			 2003-04 180 600 38,070 
			 2004-05 260 590 37,470 
			 2005-06 310 740 45,980 
			 2006-07 290 980 44,570 
			 2007-08 380 1,110 53,480 
			 2008-09 460 1,310 55,770 
			  Source: CLG Housing Live Tables, Table 1008

Affordable Housing

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been purchased under the  (a) First Time Buyer's Initiative,  (b) HomeBuy Direct,  (c) New Build HomeBuy,  (d) Open Market HomeBuy and  (e) Social HomeBuy schemes in each of the last three years; and how many have been purchased under each scheme in 2009-10 to date.

John Healey: The number of homes purchased in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 First Time Buyers Initiative 24 818 1,025 
			 HomeBuy Direct(1) - - - 
			 New Build HomeBuy 11,017 14,880 10,647 
			 Open Market HomeBuy 2,463 2,749 6,123 
			 Social HomeBuy 47 160 99 
			 (1) HomeBuy Direct only became operational in February 2009.  Source: Homes and Communities Agency. 
		
	
	The provisional data from April to September 2009 are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 First Time Buyers Initiative 383 
			 HomeBuy Direct 997 
			 New Build HomeBuy 2,624 
			 Open Market HomeBuy 3,194 
			 Social HomeBuy 20 
			  Source: Homes and Communities Agency.

Affordable Housing: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to increase the number of dwellings available for low-cost home ownership in Leeds West constituency.

John Healey: There is substantial investment in the Leeds city area in low cost home ownership to deliver additional affordable homes, data are not available by constituency only by local authority. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has two principal products for low cost home ownership, homebuy direct which is an equity share model and new build homebuy which is shared ownership with a housing association or other provider. In addition to the National Affordable Housing programme, provision of these homes has also been accelerated through the additional funding made available through the Building Britain's Future initiative, notably Kickstart.
	HCA published half year performance statistics to end September 2009, this showed 44 units of homebuy direct delivered in Leeds city area in the financial year. In addition, 20 low cost homeownership units have been delivered in Leeds this financial year through the National Affordable Housing programme. Outturn completions for 2008-09 also showed 110 units in Leeds.
	Kickstart round 1 allocated over £50 million in Yorkshire and Humber subject to funding conditions. This includes substantial schemes in Leeds including elements of shared ownership or homebuy direct.
	Kickstart round 2 will allocate over £30 million in Yorkshire and Humber subject to funding conditions. There are a total of 23 schemes in the region, with one in Leeds supporting the delivery of approximately 1,488 homes by March 2012.

Affordable Housing: Leeds and West Yorkshire

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what steps he plans to take to increase the number of dwellings available for low-cost home ownership in the Leeds city area;
	(2)  what steps he plans to take to increase the number of dwellings available for low-cost home ownership in the West Yorkshire area.

John Healey: There is substantial investment in West Yorkshire and the Leeds City area to deliver additional affordable homes, including both rented and low cost home ownership homes. Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has two principal products for low cost home ownership, Homebuy Direct, which is an equity share model and Newbuild Homebuy which is shared ownership with a housing association or other provider. In addition to existing programmes such as the National Affordable Housing Programme, the provision of these homes has been accelerated through the additional funding made available through the Building Britain's Future initiative, notably Kickstart and the Local Authority Newbuild Programme.
	Low cost home ownership is a valuable tool in securing a mix of tenures in sustainable communities, and in providing wider access to home ownership. HCA works very closely with local authorities and partners to determine the most appropriate and sustainable mix of tenures in a given location and actively encourages the provision of low cost home ownership choices.
	75 units of Homebuy Direct have been completed in West Yorkshire, including 44 in Leeds local authority area. (HCA published half year performance statistics). In addition, outturn completions of low cost home ownership units delivered through the National Affordable Housing Programme 2008-09, was 313 units in West Yorkshire of which 110 were in Leeds.
	Kickstart Round 1 allocated over £15 million to West Yorkshire subject to funding conditions. This includes £9 million allocated to four schemes in Leeds, and a further £6 million to one scheme in Kirklees and two in Wakefield. All but one of these schemes will include an element of Homebuy Direct or shared ownership.
	Kickstart Round 2 has allocated in excess of £6 million to West Yorkshire with one scheme in Leeds and a further five schemes across West Yorkshire.

Al-Muhajiroun

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the re-establishment of the Al-Muhajiroun organisation in the UK on community relations.

Shahid Malik: The Department of Communities and Local Government does not carry out assessments on the effect of the activity of extremist groups. These issues are a matter for the police both in their assessment of risk in communities and in tackling individuals that break the law.

Audit Commission: Procurement

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the names and addresses are of each organisation that supplied goods or services to the Audit Commission in 2008-09.

Rosie Winterton: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 16 December 2009:
	 Parliamentary Question: what the names and addresses are of each organisation that supplied goods or services to the Audit Commission in 2008-09.
	Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission was supplied with goods and services from 1,175 suppliers in 2008/09.
	The names and addresses of these suppliers are attached to this letter.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard and the table will be available in the House of Commons Library.

Christmas

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Christmas trees were purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Communities and Local Government and its agencies purchased the following number of Christmas trees over the last five years:
	
		
			   Number of trees  Cost (£) 
			 2004 5 4,602 
			 2005 6 5,296 
			 2006 6 5,444 
			 2007 4 4,900 
			 2008 5 2,034 
		
	
	The trees are provided by local suppliers from a sustainable source and where possible disposed of by conversion to wood chips for composting and mulching.

Community Development

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's press release of 14 October 2009, on connecting communities, what practical actions will be funded under the programme.

Shahid Malik: Each area taking part in the Connecting Communities programme has drawn up individual plans which address specific challenges and practical actions for their area. These plans focus on giving people a bigger say in local issues, addressing specific local concerns and increasing access to local services and opportunities.
	In Speke, in Liverpool there was concern about a lack of jobs and whether jobs were going to local people. Through the Connecting Communities programme local agencies are now working with young people and single parents in particular to link them up with opportunities under the Future Jobs Fund. Further practical actions taken forward by other areas have included forming a neighbourhood's first ever community group (Stanney, Ellesmere Port), developing neighbourhood agreements (Felling, Gateshead), setting up a Youth Action Group (New Parks, Leicester).

Council Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he expects the new duty to tackle socio-economic disadvantage proposed in the Equality Bill to require local authorities to  (a) adjust their housing waiting list policies and  (b) complete an equality impact assessment of changes they propose to make to their housing waiting list policies; and whether he has made an assessment of the likely effects on the powers of local authorities in respect of the priority given to local residents in such policies.

Ian Austin: The provision in the Equality Bill would require local authorities to give due regard to the desirability of tackling socio-economic inequalities when making strategic decisions about how to exercise their functions. We would expect this duty to apply to authorities when framing their allocation scheme and the new statutory guidance on social housing allocation issued to local authorities on 4 December made this clear. However, this will not be the only factor authorities will need to take into consideration when developing their allocation policies; local authorities will need to balance several strategic objectives, such as promoting the local economy, and promoting community cohesion.
	We would expect and strongly recommend that local authorities carry out an equality impact assessment of any significant change to their allocation policies to ensure compliance with the authority's legal equality duties.
	We recognise that local authorities may wish to adopt allocation policies which give greater priority to people with a local connection to the district. We do not believe that the duty to tackle socio-economic inequalities should affect a local authority's power to do so. Indeed authorities may decide that local disadvantage should be addressed by giving more priority to local people with housing needs.

Council Housing: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were registered for rehousing with Leeds City Council in each year since 2000.

Ian Austin: The following figures are taken from the earliest available data (2001) and represent the total number of applications registered as at 31 March each year.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001 25,318 
			 2002 26,641 
			 2003 31,105 
			 2004 30,959 
			 2005 31,699 
			 2006 30,845 
			 2007 30,768 
			 2008 29,993 
			 2009 30,200

Council Housing: Property Transfer

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects the Minister of State for Housing to make a decision on whether First Choice Homes Oldham will be allowed to ballot its tenants on a stock transfer to a Registered Social Landlord.

John Healey: Today, I have laid a written ministerial statement in which I confirmed the position on Oldham council's housing transfer proposals.

Council Tax Benefits

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what circumstances homeowners with a mortgage are eligible for council tax benefit.

Helen Goodman: I have been asked to reply.
	Council tax benefit is a non-contributory, income-related, social security benefit that provides help to people with low incomes to pay their council tax. It is administered by local authorities. People may qualify if they are liable for council tax in respect of the home they are resident in and are aged over 18. Entitlement is based on financial circumstances and may be paid to people in or out of work. Homeowners, as well as people who rent, may be eligible on this basis.

Councillors

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much public funding has been provided to political parties and their associated political groups under the 'Be a Councillor' programme.

Rosie Winterton: The 'Be a Councillor' programme is run by the Leadership Centre for Local Government, a registered charity. Communities and Local Government has contributed £50,000 to the programme in 2009-10. Under the programme, the Leadership Centre gives advice and support to all of the main political parties in England plus smaller parties and independents as defined by the LGA Independent Group, to assist them in attracting a wider and more diverse range of people to become local councillors.

Councillors: Fraud

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 15 June 2009,  Official Report, column 17W, on councillors, how many cases of housing benefit fraud by councillors have been identified as a result of the National Fraud Initiative of the Audit Commission.

John Healey: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission, and I will ask the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
	 Letter from Steve Bundred, dated 16 December 2009:
	Parliamentary Question: with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 15 June 2009, Official Report, column 17W, on councillors, how many cases of housing benefit fraud by councillors have been identified as a result of the National Fraud Initiative of the Audit Commission.
	Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply. I am afraid that we are unable to answer your question as the data submitted does not automatically allow the Audit Commission to distinguish between employees and councillors. This is because the payroll details do not contain the status of the individual.
	A copy of this letter will be placed in Hansard.

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in his Department's buildings in the last 12 months.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Communities and Local Government has spent £2711.95 on work to ministerial offices since January 2009.

Departmental Electronic Equipment

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many plasma screen televisions his Department has purchased since 2001; and what the cost has been of purchasing and installing such screens in each such year.

Barbara Follett: The Department for Communities and Local Government purchased 2 x 63 plasma screen televisions in December 2006 at a cost of £16,167.34.
	Information prior to 2005 is not available.

Departmental Information and Communications Technology

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what pay band his Department's Chief Information Officer (CIO) is employed; whether the CIO is employed on a fixed-term or permanent contract; and what the size is of the budget for which the CIO is responsible in the period 2009-10.

Barbara Follett: The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is employed on a permanent contract in the Senior Civil Service Pay Band 2 (£82,900 to £162,500). The CIO and his team have a budget of £30.442 million (administration and capital expenditure) for 2009-2010. This covers central expenditure for CLG and Government Offices.

Departmental Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total work force they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if he will make a statement.

Barbara Follett: The following table shows the number of 'end of year' performance payments that have been paid to staff in CLG over the last five years.
	The Department also operates a scheme for all staff below the senior civil service under which individuals or teams may receive a small non-consolidated award in recognition of an outstanding contribution over a limited period. The maximum payment made under these arrangements is £600. Records are only available for the three years to 31 March 2006 and are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Table showing details of end-year non-consolidated payments made to staff in Communities and Local Government in each of the last five years 
			   No. of senior civil servants (SCS) who received non- consolidated performance payments  No. of staff below SCS who received non- consolidated performance payments  Amount of non- consolidated performance payments made to SCS (£)  Amount of non- consolidated performance payments made to staff below SCS (£)  Total cost (£)  Total work-force (Percentage)  Largest bonus paid (£) 
			 2009-10 102 (1)- 751,150 (1)- - - 12,500 
			 2008-09 102 570 856,392 428,157 1,284,549 31 20,500 
			 2007-08 104 391 686,000 332,350 1,018,350 22 16,270 
			 2006-07 83 478 570,000 268,250 838,250 24 12,500 
			 2005-06 86 503 426,000 170,000 596,000 25 9,500 
			 (1 )Information not yet available. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table showing in-year non-consolidated awards made to CLG staff below the senior civil service 
			   2005-06  2004-05  2003-04 
			 Number of in-year performance non-consolidated performance awards 301 400 356 
			 Total costs (£) 105,000 116,000 116,000 
			 Largest payment paid (£) 600 600 600

Departmental Procurement

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to Lord Bates of 12 October 2009,  Official Report,  House of Lords, column 5WA, on the Department for Communities and Local Government: purchase order data, how much was spent on each listed supplier in 2008-09.

Barbara Follett: The information requested has been deposited in the Library of the House.

Departmental Responsibilities

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which of its strategic objectives his Department did not meet in 2008-09.

Barbara Follett: The Department agreed three year strategic objectives covering 2008-09 to 2010-11 in the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review. We have not reported final assessments for any of these but our 2009 Autumn Performance Report reports 'strong progress' for DSO 2 (housing) and DSO 6 (fire); 'some progress' for DSO 1 (local government), DSO 4 (cohesive, active and empowered communities) and DSO 5 (planning); and 'not yet assessed' for DSO 3 (economic performance and regeneration). The report was laid before the House on 15 December 2009 as Command Paper (Cm 7770) and is available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/about/howwework/corporatereports/reportsaccounts/performancereports

Departmental Training

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many overseas training courses were attended by his Department's civil servants in the latest period for which figures are available; how many civil servants attended each course; and what the total cost to the public purse was of each course.

Barbara Follett: Record of overseas training courses for Communities and Local Government are not centrally held in the Department. However available data obtained within the Department gives the following breakdown for the calendar year 2008-09; figures given do not include travel and subsistence costs
	
		
			  List of overseas training courses  Number of civil servants  Cost to the public purse  Date 
			 Two days-Financial statements and audit in the public sector, Warsaw 2 1180 Euro December 2008 
			 Five days course in Hungary for living library organisers 1 50 Euros-(cost covered by the EU with only 50 Euro contribution by CLG) February 2009 
			 One day-Royal Statistical Association conference in Belgium 2 Free-(cost waived (as the members of staff were also speakers at the conference) April 2009 
			 Four days-Financial Management of ERDF programmes, Barcelona 1 £1,229 April 2009 
			 Two days-Training the trainers course, Brussels 1 £128.02 June 2009 
			 Three days-Evaluation of ERDF programmes, Berlin 1 £1,240.37 June 2009 
			 Two days World 1 conference on Spatial Econometrics in Barcelona 1 375 Euros July 2009 
			 Two days Eurostat-IAOS-IFC conference on Residential Property Price indices (RPPI) in Basely Switzerland 1 Free November 2009

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many and what percentage of Parliamentary Questions tabled for written answer by his Department on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day.

Barbara Follett: In the 2008-09 Session Communities and Local Government received 790 parliamentary questions for answer on a named day, of which 642 (81 per cent.) received a substantive answer on the day in question.

Disadvantaged People: Employment

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's publication of statistics for DSO 3.7: Overall Employment rate (working age population) at neighbourhood level (in deprived areas), England, what the employment rate was in each individual deprived neighbourhood in  (a) April 2007 to March 2008,  (b) July 2007 to June 2008,  (c) October 2007 to September 2008,  (d) January 2007 to December 2008 and  (e) April 2008 to March 2009.

Rosie Winterton: The data source used to calculate DSO 3.7 'Overall Employment rate (working age population) at neighbourhood level (in deprived areas)' is the Office of National Statistics' (ONS) sample survey the Annual Population Survey (APS). Due to the small sample size of the Annual Population Survey at neighbourhood level (lower super output area) we are unable to provide estimates for individual deprived neighbourhoods.

Emergency Calls

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many calls were made to the 999 emergency number in each of the last three years; how many calls were dropped by the system in each of the last three years; what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the 999 emergency system; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The 999 and 112 emergency number system provides a very effective means for the public to contact the police, fire, ambulance and coastguard services rapidly in an emergency.
	The figures for emergency calls received by the Call Handling Agents and connected (after filtering for false/accidental calls) to the emergency services in the three years since 1 July 2006 are:
	
		
			   1 July 2006-30 June 2007  1 July 2007-30 June 2008  1 July 2008 -30 June 2009 
			 Calls 35,119,122 33,389,065 31,267,064 
			 Connected 20,587,416 19.916,230 19,597.363

English Regions Network: Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 14 October 2009,  Official Report, column 968W, on the English Regions Network, for what purposes his Department will provide funding to the English Regions Network.

Rosie Winterton: CLG provides funding to the English Regional Network to coordinate the collective activities and views of Local Authority Leaders' Boards and Regional Assemblies and in particular to coordinate actives supporting Regional Spatial Strategies.

Fire Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when each regional fire control room will be fully functional; when rent became or will become payable on each regional control room; and what estimate he has made of the rental cost of each regional fire control room over the full period of its lease.

Shahid Malik: Under current planning assumptions the first regional fire control rooms are expected to become operational in spring 2011 and the last Fire and Rescue Service will switch over by the end of 2012.
	
		
			  Regional control centre  Go live date 
			 South West May 2011 
			 East Midlands May 2011 
			 North East May 2011 
			 West Midlands May 2011 
			 North West January 2012 
			 South East March 2012 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside July 2012 
			 East of England September 2011 
			 London September 2011 
		
	
	
		
			  Regional rental costs estimates over the full period of the lease 
			   Rent commencement date  Estimated rent over full period of lease  (£) 
			 North East 13 April 2008 28,237,658.85 
			 East Midlands 20 January 2008 38,630,926.87 
			 South West 15 February 2008 29,178,474.41 
			 West Midlands 14 October 2008 43,592,098.37 
			 South East 14 November 2008 46,337,023.37 
			 North West 1 January 2009 38,282,659.67 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 16 April 2009 27,177,839.88 
			 East of England 22 April 2009 43,395,258.72 
			 London 26 November 2010 77,656,287.37

Fire Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date each regional fire control room lease expires; and what steps he has taken to ensure the continuation of a national network on expiry of the leases.

Shahid Malik: The date on which each Regional Control Centre lease is due to expire are:
	
		
			  Region  End date of Lease 
			 North East 28 June 2027 
			 East Midlands 28 June 2032 
			 South West 14 August 2027 
			 West Midlands 19 December 2032 
			 South East 13 May 2033 
			 North West 30 June 2033 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 30 June 2028 
			 East of England 30 September 2033 
			 London 25 February 2034 
		
	
	Decisions would need to be taken well in advance of lease expiry under the Landlord and Tennant Act.

Fire Services: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much had been spent under each budget heading on the FiReControl Project on the latest date for which figures are available.

Shahid Malik: The current estimated project cost is £420 million of which approximately £190 million has been spent to date.

Fire Services: Risk Assessment

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many project risks there are on the FiReControl Risk Register; how many are currently rated high or above; and what the nature is of those risks currently rated high or above.

Shahid Malik: As we published in the FiReControl Business Case, there are a 176 risks on the project risk register of which sixteen are rated 'high' or 'very high'.
	These risks fall into three main categories:
	Timely completion of FiReControl and Firelink project activities (critical dependencies)
	Timely decision making within local authorities and local authority controlled company's (governance and management capacity)
	The pace of change within the service (strategic change/impact).

Fire Services: Safety

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the purpose is of Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMPs); what role his Department plays in monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of IRMPs; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: Integrated Risk Management Planning (IRMP) underpins the reforms to the Fire and Rescue Service that flowed from the White Paper 'Our Fire and Rescue Service' published in June 2003. Since then, fire and rescue authorities have shifted their focus from intervention to put a greater emphasis on fire prevention. The aim is to improve community safety, reduce the commercial, economic and social impact of fires and other emergency incidents, and make a more productive use of fire and rescue service resources to meet today's risks. That approach means that each authority now determines its policies and standards for prevention, protection and intervention in the light of the risks identified, which enables it to target those areas or sections of the community that are at particularly high risk. The Fire and Rescue Service National Framework 2008-11 requires IRMPs to be regularly reviewed and revised and to reflect up to date risk information and evaluation of service delivery outcomes.
	The Government are committed to enabling local authorities and local communities to make appropriate decisions at the local level. It is therefore not the role of Ministers to intervene in, or even comment upon, the operational proposals of an individual fire and rescue authority's IRMP; that is for elected members of the authority concerned to determine following full consultation with the local community The fire authority is best placed to act on the professional advice of principal officers and to balance the competing local demands on available resources for the benefits of the communities they serve.
	A comprehensive review of the adequacy and impact on a nationwide basis of IRMP policy and implementation has been carried out on the Department's behalf by Mott Macdonald, and a report will be published. The report will be considered in discussion with stakeholders.
	The Audit Commission takes account of individual fire and rescue authorities' IRMPs in drawing up annual assessments as part of the Comprehensive Area Assessment.

Fire Services: Vehicles

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the technology with which enhanced command support vehicles supplied by his Department to fire and rescue authorities are equipped; what recent work has been undertaken on the vehicles; and if he will make a statement.

Shahid Malik: The enhanced command support (ECS) vehicles provide a multi-technology communication platform to support the co-ordination of large, complex deployments of fire and rescue service (FRS) resources. Capabilities include connectivity with other FRSs, emergency service resources and control rooms through radio, mobile phones and land lines. This capability is available for operational use if needed and has already been used to good effect, most recently during last month's floods in Cumbria.
	Minor technical issues have been encountered with the satellite communications capability which provides a basic level of communications in the event of an unlikely, but serious and protracted, disruption of other communications systems. We are reasonably confident that these can be resolved and hope to be in a position to deploy the full capability to the FRS by March 2010.

Fire Services: Vehicles

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many enhanced command support vehicles have been supplied by his Department to fire and rescue authorities in the last 12 months; what the total purchase cost of those vehicles was; at how many incidents they have been used; and where each is currently located.

Shahid Malik: The Department has procured nine enhanced control vehicles for use by the fire and rescue service, as part of its new dimension project to provide enhanced response capability to the fire and rescue service. The total purchase cost of these vehicles was £1,459,500. Although the vehicles are not yet fully operational or permanently located with individual FRSs, they have been used to good effect in three incidents and exercises, most recently during last month's floods in Cumbria.

Fires: Safety

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which recommendations made by the Business and Community Safety Forum in their ministerial submission to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Communities and Local Government on 2 April 2009 on dangers of fires in timber-framed construction were  (a) implemented and  (b) rejected prior to the Peckham fire in November 2009.

Shahid Malik: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 8 December 2009,  Official Report, columns 302-03W. A copy of the letter of 28 May by my right hon. Friend the Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan) has been placed in the Library.

Floods

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to add flooding to the list of hazards enforceable under the Housing Act 2004.

Ian Austin: There are no plans to revise the 29 categories of hazard contained in the housing health and safety rating system. The underlying principle of the housing health and safety rating system is that any residential premises should provide a safe and healthy environment for any potential occupier or visitor. It is primarily concerned with those matters which can properly be considered the responsibility of the owner (or landlord).

Government Office for the East of England: Training

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse was of the Government Office for the East of England staff away day in Chilford Hall in November 2009; how many staff attended that away day; and for what reason that location was chosen for that away day.

Rosie Winterton: The Government Office for the East of England (GO-East) held an event at Chilford Hall in November 2009. Chilford Hall conference centre was selected as it offered good value for money. The cost for the event was £7562.45 (including VAT). Approximately 180 people attended; including 150 GO-East staff, non-executive directors and speakers and regional partners invited to participate.

Home Information Packs: Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department has budgeted for supporting the home information pack programme between 2008 to 2011; and how much of that funding will go to local authorities.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) to the hon. Member for Falmouth and Camborne (Julia Goldsworthy) on 6 November 2008,  Official Report, column 723W.

Homelessness

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what percentage of households in  (a) each region and  (b) England classified as homeless left the homeless list in each of the last two years;
	(2)  how many households in each region in England left the homeless list in each of the last three years.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty to secure that suitable accommodation are available (homeless acceptances). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation (TA) until a settled home becomes available.
	The data include the number of homeless acceptances not immediately provided with settled accommodation, for whom a main homelessness duty was ended during the quarter. A duty can be ended in a number of circumstances, for example, where an offer of settled accommodation is accepted or refused. National figures for the number of homeless acceptances not immediately provided with settled accommodation for whom a main homelessness duty was ended can be found in Table 8 of the latest Statistical Release, accessible from this link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/homelessnessq22009
	National and regional figures for the number of households in temporary accommodation or remaining in their existing home, on 31 March 2007 and 31 March 2008, who were homeless acceptances and not immediately provided with settled accommodation are shown in Table 1:
	
		
			  Table 1 
			   31 March 2007  31 March 2008 
			  England 74,620 61,850 
			 East of England 3,750 3,040 
			 East Midlands 1,530 930 
			 London 51,680 45,340 
			 North East 810 590 
			 North West 2,950 1,580 
			 South East 5,800 3,980 
			 South West 3,850 2,680 
			 West Midlands 1,800 1,580 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2,460 2,120 
		
	
	National and regional figures for the number of homeless acceptances not immediately provided with settled accommodation, for whom a main homelessness duty was ended in each of the last three years is shown in Table 2:
	
		
			  Table 2 
			   2006-07  2007-08  2008-09( 1) 
			  England 71,520 65,290 57,900 
			 East of England 7,000 5,740 5,270 
			 East Midlands 5,480 5,110 3,340 
			 London 16,120 15,140 16,120 
			 North East 5,020 3,450 2,870 
			 North West 9,510 8,310 5,900 
			 South East 8,370 7,630 5,670 
			 South West 6,290 5,690 4,940 
			 West Midlands 7,800 8,590 8,240 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 5,930 5,620 5,550 
			 (1) Provisional data for 2008-09 
		
	
	Figures in Table 2 above exclude households who were immediately provided with settled accommodation.

Homelessness: Children in Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has made an estimate of the number of homeless people who were formerly children in care in each of the last 10 years.

Ian Austin: Information about English local housing authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected at local authority level, and published by the Department in the quarterly Statistical Release on Statutory Homelessness, available both in the Library and via the CLG website:
	http://wwwcommunities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	Data collected include the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	The data include the number of applicants accepted by local authorities aged 18 to 20 and previously in care and the number of applicants aged 21 or over and vulnerable as a result of time spent in care. The total number of acceptances in these two categories since 2003-04 is given in the table below.
	
		
			  Year( 1)  Number of homeless households in priority need accepted by local authorities who were formerly children in care 
			 2003-04 1,560 
			 2004-05 1,500 
			 2005-06 1,270 
			 2006-07 980 
			 2007-08 820 
			 2008-09 770 
			 (1) The table does not give figures for 2002-03 as data are only available from July 2002; to March 2003, thus we do not have a figure for the entire 2002-03 financial year.

Homelessness: Young People

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the level of financial assistance provided by each London borough to young people seeking permanent accommodation in each year since 2005.

Ian Austin: The Department provides a homelessness grant to local authorities and the voluntary sector to help them prevent and tackle homelessness in their areas. This grant helps assist people of all ages and a proportion of this money will be spent on young people based on a local authority's need. We cannot disaggregate actual spend on young people, but in England in the last quarter, 39 per cent. of households accepted as owed a main homelessness duty were aged 16 to 24 years.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Local authority  2008-09  2009-10  2010-11 
			  London
			 Barking and Dagenham 100,000 100,000 100,000 
			 Barnet 160,000 160,000 160,000 
			 Bexley 100,000 100,000 100,000 
			 Brent 805,000 805,000 805,000 
			 Bromley 135,000 135,000 135,000 
			 Camden 1,600,000 1,600,000 1,600,000 
			 City of London 295,000 295,000 295,000 
			 Croydon Council 550,000 550,000 550,000 
			 Ealing 640,000 640,000 640,000 
			 Enfield 250,000 250,000 250,000 
			 Greenwich 180,000 180,000 180,000 
			 Hackney 590,000 590,000 590,000 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,232,000 1,232,000 1,232,000 
			 Haringey 250,000 250,000 250,000 
			 Harrow 200,000 200,000 200,000 
			 Havering 100,000 100,000 100,000 
			 Hillingdon 100,000 100,000 100,000 
			 Hounslow 240,000 240,000 240,000 
			 Islington 380,000 380,000 380,000 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,168,000 1,168,000 1,168,000 
			 Kingston upon Thames 120,000 120,000 120,000 
			 Lambeth 2,050,000 2,050,000 2,050,000 
			 Lewisham 190,000 190,000 190,000 
			 Merton 120,000 120,000 120,000 
			 Newham 300,000 300,000 300,000 
			 Redbridge 100,000 100,000 100,000 
			 Richmond 400,000 400,000 400,000 
			 Southwark 1,150,000 1,150,000 1,150,000 
			 Sutton 200,000 200,000 200,000 
			 Tower Hamlets 880,000 880,000 880,000 
			 Waltham Forest 280,000 280,000 280,000 
			 Wandsworth 330,000 330,000 330,000 
			 Westminster 6,600,000 6,600,000 6,600,000 
			 Total London 21,795,000 21,795,000 21,795,000 
		
	
	The Supporting People programme provides revenue funds for local authorities to commission housing-related support services for vulnerable people in their area, to enable them to develop independent living skills.
	It is a locally managed and delivered programme. Local authorities are responsible for making the strategic decisions regarding the programme including deciding what services to commission to meet local needs and priorities.
	
		
			  Supporting People for the three young person primary client groups in London boroughs 
			  £ 
			  2005-06 
			  Administering authority name  Young people at risk  Young people leaving care  Teenage parents  Total 
			  London 25,196,536 5,220,292 3,545,406 33,962,234 
			  
			 Camden 2,074,830 69,416 16,541 2,160,787 
			 City of London 455,508 0 0 455,508 
			 Hackney 1,282,026 67,382 226,323 1,575,732 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 833,373 180,737 45,755 1,059,865 
			 Haringey 770,357 272,716 69,889 1,112,963 
			 Islington 1,183,604 69,022 105,142 1,357,768 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,059,929 289,916 31,821 1,381,666 
			 Lambeth 1,173,123 31,401 501,915 1,706,439 
			 Lewisham 830,625 394,059 338,946 1,563,630 
			 Newham 1,306,717 428 172,526 1,479,671 
			 Southwark 1,948,254 142,641 187,219 2,278,113 
			 Tower Hamlets 867,679 392,308 81,032 1,341,019 
			 Wandsworth 641,010 527,616 220,337 1,388,963 
			 Westminster 2,331,643 524,346 38,310 2,894,300 
			 Barking and Dagenham 0 0 61,412 61,412 
			 Barnet 720,362 0 91,086 811,449 
			 Bexley 30,437 37,951 12,813 81,200 
			 Brent 440,183 106,958 180,349 727,491 
			 Bromley 234,362 265,751 62,116 562,230 
			 Croydon 1,210,053 263,361 118,850 1,592,263 
			 Ealing 978,057 542,101 57,657 1,577,814 
			 Enfield 927,004 24,000 308,361 1,259,365 
			 Greenwich 1,267,926 218,416 187,166 1,673,508 
			 Harrow 116,397 196,228 43,978 356,602 
			 Havering 0 20,083 52,011 72,094 
			 Hillingdon 485,476 196,167 48,418 730,061 
			 Hounslow 442,722 107,901 0 550,623 
			 Kingston upon Thames 255,415 0 64,291 319,706 
			 Merton 189,940 13,772 38,325 242,037 
			 Redbridge 507,181 36,970 0 544,150 
			 Richmond upon Thames 129,300 48,829 34,203 212,332 
			 Sutton 269,713 159,231 146,145 575,089 
			 Waltham Forest 233,331 20,586 2,468 256,385 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			  2006-07 
			  Administering authority name  Teenage parents  Young people at risk  Young people leaving care  Total 
			  London 3,616,929 26,184,294 4,633,327 34,434,550 
			  
			 Camden 59,128 2,356,534 71,066 2,486,728 
			 City of London 0 455,508 0 455,508 
			 Hackney 255,841 1,456,133 112,222 1,824,197 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 46,544 824,980 181,855 1,053,380 
			 Haringey 78,900 772,657 274,223 1,125,780 
			 Islington 105,183 1,116,171 395 1,221,748 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 35,745 900,537 296,109 1,232,391 
			 Lambeth 479,649 1,322,288 0 1,801,937 
			 Lewisham 358,797 847,237 217,931 1,423,965 
			 Newham 109,008 1,379,615 22,242 1,510,865 
			 Southwark 228,115 1,970,227 133,159 2,331,501 
			 Tower Hamlets 81,032 929,627 385,149 1,395,809 
			 Wandsworth 220,337 626,395 602,000 1,448,733 
			 Westminster 34,915 2,467,813 27,994 2,530,723 
			 Barking and Dagenham 31,687 0 0 31,687 
			 Barnet 85,477 695,627 42,766 823,870 
			 Bexley 17,809 62,000 0 79,809 
			 Brent 182,589 614,563 106,367 903,520 
			 Bromley 57,344 341,831 406,464 805,639 
			 Croydon 153,873 1,238,338 313,041 1,705,252 
			 Ealing 84,306 1,013,621 555,707 1,653,633 
			 Enfield 323,376 755,852 61,249 1,140,477 
			 Greenwich 191,792 1,299,258 223,814 1,714,863 
			 Harrow 21,553 93,808 141,368 256,729 
			 Havering 0 48,048 21,970 70,018 
			 Hillingdon 112,625 612,316 74,208 799,149 
			 Hounslow 0 404,060 104,336 508,396 
			 Kingston upon Thames 65,898 240,303 0 306,201 
			 Merton 39,189 194,519 14,083 247,791 
			 Redbridge 0 541,773 33,515 575,288 
			 Richmond upon Thames 35,044 132,480 49,890 217,414 
			 Sutton 118,642 234,119 160,205 512,965 
			 Waltham Forest 2,530 236,055 0 238,585 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			  2007 -0 8 
			  Administering authority name  Teenage parents  Young people at risk  Young people leaving care  Total 
			  London 3,761,528 28,031,119 4,252,827 36,045,474 
			  
			 Camden 106,233 3,088,690 311,531 3,506,454 
			 City of London 0 487,674 0 487,674 
			 Hackney 215,255 1,660,088 38,455 1,913,798 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 47,722 998,626 181,231 1,227,579 
			 Haringey 70,661 651,797 275,730 998,188 
			 Islington 109,345 1,234,157 0 1,343,503 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 35,298 704,723 296,109 1,036,130 
			 Lambeth 450,564 1,438,498 0 1,889,062 
			 Lewisham 388,631 1,248,011 120,416 1,757,059 
			 Newham 176,603 1,318,994 22,267 1,517,864 
			 Southwark 254,198 2,109,809 120,498 2,484,505 
			 Tower Hamlets 65,775 1,003,746 249,015 1,318,535 
			 Wandsworth 252,843 656,664 585,057 1,494,564 
			 Westminster 34,915 2,467,813 0 2,502,728 
			 Barking and Dagenham 43,753 0 0 43,753 
			 Barnet 85,469 677,377 86,559 849,406 
			 Bexley 33,456 11,209 0 44,665 
			 Brent 186,766 655,067 106,367 948,200 
			 Bromley 71,629 302,776 345,362 719,767 
			 Croydon 161,696 1,321,389 253,296 1,736,381 
			 Ealing 101,675 982,282 614,200 1,698,157 
			 Enfield 328,840 661,901 48,000 1,038,741 
			 Greenwich 142,701 1,571,210 112,892 1,826,803 
			 Harrow 44,858 79,273 199,830 323,960 
			 Havering 0 48,048 21,970 70,018 
			 Hillingdon 120,099 555,283 18,900 694,282 
			 Hounslow 0 416,208 66,675 482,882 
			 Kingston upon Thames 65,898 240,303 0 306,201 
			 Merton 40,051 198,798 19,930 258,780 
			 Redbridge 0 541,773 13,888 555,661 
			 Richmond upon Thames 35,145 78,966 41,584 155,695 
			 Sutton 88,850 357,223 103,066 549,139 
			 Waltham Forest 2,600 262,741 0 265,341

Homelessness: Young People

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on their role in assisting young people to secure permanent accommodation.

Ian Austin: Government have issued guidance focussed on helping local authorities and the third sector assist young people in securing settled accommodation.
	The Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities (July 2006)-provides a summary of the homelessness legislation and the duties, powers and obligations on housing authorities and others towards people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. In addition to this we have published:
	Joint working between Housing and Children's Services: Preventing homelessness and tackling its effects on children and young people (May 2008)
	Making a difference: Supported lodgings as a housing option for young people (October 2008)
	An accommodation self assessment toolkit for the Socially Excluded Adults Public Service Agreement (November 2009)
	Homelessness prevention and meeting housing need for (ex)offenders: A guide to practice (November 2009)
	Preventing Homelessness: A Strategy Health Check (September 2006)
	Homelessness Prevention-a guide to good practice (June 2006)
	Local authorities are legally required to prepare a pathway plan setting out the support that will be provided to care leavers so that they can make a positive transition from their care placement to more independent accommodation. This plan will include details of any services that the individual young person might need so that they are able to successfully manage a future tenancy.
	Regulations and Guidance setting out the responsibilities of local authorities to support care leavers so that they have the best chance to succeed in their accommodation was issued in 2001, at the time of the introduction of the provisions of the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.
	As well as producing and publishing this guidance we make available other local authority prevention tools and good practice information aimed specifically at assisting young people on our National Youth Homelessness website.

Homelessness: Young People

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanisms exist for  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) local authorities to assist young people in securing permanent accommodation.

Ian Austin: CLG employ a team of homelessness advisors, seconded from local authorities, to advise and support local authorities with their homelessness strategies. In particular, identifying and promoting good practice and opportunities to improve efficiency in tackling and preventing homelessness effectively.
	The Supporting People programme also funds housing-related support to vulnerable people, including young people, to help them to live more independently. For example, Supporting People funded services might support a vulnerable young person or teenage parent to develop life skills which enable them to maintain a tenancy, such as understanding a tenancy agreement, or budgeting; or they might provide support to access training, education or employment which can help young people to develop a more stable home life. In 2007-08, over £136 million was spent on housing-related support services for vulnerable young people, and over £23 million was spent on services for teenage parents.
	The homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) provides a safety net for vulnerable young people who become homeless through no fault of their own. Under the legislation, local housing authorities must secure suitable accommodation for applicants who are eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and fall within a priority need group. The priority need groups include young people aged 16 or 17, young people aged between 18 and 20 who were previously in care, and young people
	aged 21 or over who are vulnerable as a result of having spent time in care. The duty continues until an offer of a settled home can be made.
	Local authorities are responsible for allocating settled social (either within their own stock or by nomination to housing associations in their district) to those on the waiting list, including young people, who have appropriate priority under the authority's allocation scheme.

Homelessness: Young People

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what support  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies provide to young people leaving foyer schemes to assist them in securing permanent accommodation.

Ian Austin: Foyer schemes and other forms of supported accommodation are designed to help young people gain the skills they will require to live independently and to secure their own settled accommodation.
	The Supporting People programme provides revenue funds for local authorities to commission housing related support services for vulnerable people in their area, to enable them to develop these essential independent living skills. Data relaying to the supply of and spend on supporting people housing related support services is collected retrospectively. The following table shows the amount spent on three young people client groups by service type and accommodation type for 2007-08.
	
		
			  2007-08 Supporting people spend on three young person client groups, by service type and accommodation type 
			  £ 
			Primary Client Group 
			  Service type  Accommodation type (where applicable)  Teenage parents  Young people at risk  Young people leaving care  Grand total 
			 Accommodation based services Accommodation Based Service 508,932 2,313,959 79,255 2,902,145 
			  Adult Placement-Registered - 186,558 - 186,558 
			  Foyer for Young People 50,006 23,411,997 32,374 23,494,377 
			  Homeless Hostel, B  B or other temporary accommodation 504,906 12,121,139 55,476 12,681,522 
			  Resident Adult Carer - 373 55,648 56,021 
			  Supported Housing (shared or self contained) 5,965,744 61,677,456 5,785,884 73,429,084 
			  Supported Lodgings 152,518 3,447,892 1,895,530 5,495,940 
			  Teenage Parent Accommodation 9,274,670 111,982 - 9,386,652 
			  Women's Refuge - 72,769 - 72,769 
			  (blank) 84,870 590,758 489,946 1,165,574 
			   
			 Accommodation Based Service total  16,541,646 103,934,884 8,394,113 128,870,643 
			   
			 Floating Support Services  6,504,888 19,495,205 2,932,470 28,932,563 
			 Outreach services  285,262 727,462 371,543 1,384,267 
			 Resettlement Services  71,445 570,619 155,733 797,798 
			 Grand total  23,403,242 124,728,170 11,853,859 159,985,271 
		
	
	Some young people may yet still require additional help and that is why Communities and Local Government allocated over £220 million to local authorities and the voluntary sector between 2008-09 to 2010-11 to help them prevent and tackle homelessness in their areas.
	The homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) provides a safety net for vulnerable young people who become homeless through no fault of their own. Under the legislation, local housing authorities must secure suitable accommodation for applicants who are eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and fall within a priority need group. The priority need groups include young people aged 16 or 17, young people aged between 18 and 20 who were previously in care, and young people aged 21 or over who are vulnerable as a result of having spent time in care. The duty continues until an offer of a settled home can be made.

Homes and Communities Agency: Assets

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to which third parties the Homes and Communities Agency is liable for the additional consideration on development assets referred to on page 87 of its Annual Report 2009; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Further to the information provided in note 31(c) on page 87 of the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) financial statement 2008-09, the third party referred to in the note is the Department of Health. The surplus public sector land referred to as being transferred to the agency in 2005-06, was a portfolio of 96 sites.

Homes and Communities Agency: Assets

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much land was owned by the Homes and Communities Agency in each of the last three years; what percentage of the land currently owned by the agency has been granted planning permission; and what percentage of the land is expected to be developed within the next  (a) six and  (b) 12 months.

John Healey: The HCA came into existence on 1 December 2008, it therefore held no land in 2007.
	For 2008 and 2009, figures are as follows:
	
		
			   Hectares 
			 2008 7982.1713 
			 2009 8028.0811 
		
	
	It is not possible to provide an answer to the remaining parts of this question other than at disproportionate cost.

Homes and Communities Agency: Assets

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to which third parties the Homes and Communities Agency is liable to for the community related asset transfers listed on page 87 of the Homes and Communities Agency Annual Report 2009; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: To disclose this information would prejudice the commercial interests of the Homes and Communities Agency, as the transfer of these assets may take time and will be subject to ongoing financial negotiations.

Homes and Communities Agency: Contracts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 30 November 2009,  Official Report, column 499W, on departmental contracts, which bodies are recorded as having contracts with the Homes and Communities Agency.

John Healey: A list of all the bodies having contracts with the Homes and Communities Agency has been deposited in the Library of the House. There are over 1,000 entries on the list which do not include non-contractual commitments, multiple entries for the same firm, or details of contracts entered into with individuals.

Housing

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the effect on the housing market of Government policy on the provision of social care; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The National Strategy for Housing in an Ageing Society, Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods, recognises the challenges of an ageing society, and the impact on the demand for housing which is adaptable to people's changing needs and enables people to live more independently at home. The housing target of 240,000 new homes a year from 2016 onwards reflects long-term needs and changes in the age and type of households projected over the next 20 years.
	Lifetime Homes, Lifetime Neighbourhoods also recognises the increasing need for specialised housing such as care homes and extra care housing, and we welcome the recent report from the Housing our Ageing Population Panel for Innovation, which makes recommendations which aim to improve the choice and availability of specialised housing for older people.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the merits of proposals for a fabric energy efficiency standard for zero carbon homes.

John Healey: I announced in a written ministerial statement on 16 July 2009,  Official Report, columns 42-49WS, the formation of a specialist task group to advise on the minimum energy efficiency standard for zero carbon homes. Following the work of that task group, the report of which I have placed in the Library of the House, I announced in a further written ministerial statement on 24 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 42-44WS, that:
	I am satisfied the task group's recommendations strike the right balance between a high level of ambition and a standard that can be realised in practice by 2016;
	I intend to use this standard within the definition of zero carbon homes; and
	I will be using our forthcoming consultation on updating the Code for Sustainable Homes to confirm that there are no unintended consequences from this standard and to seek views on the energy efficiency standard to be adopted in 2013.

Housing: Energy

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average  (a) current energy efficiency rating band and  (b) potential energy efficiency rating band is for homes in each local authority area.

Ian Austin: The information requested is not currently available centrally to respond to the question in the format requested.

Housing: Finance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much of the £50 million of social housing grant to allow local authorities to deliver new social housing announced in April has been spent in each region;
	(2)  how much of the £400 million of funding through Kickstart announced in April 2009 has been spent in each region;
	(3)  how much of the £250 million to allow local authorities to deliver new social housing referred to in the Prime Minister's Building Britain's Future announcement has been spent in each region;
	(4)  how much of the £660 million for Kickstart referred to in the Prime Minister's Building Britain's Future announcement has been spent in each region;
	(5)  how much of the £750 million to be allocated via the Homes and Communities Agency's National Affordable Housing Programme referred to in the Prime Minister's Building Britain's Future announcement has been spent in each region.

John Healey: The Budget 2009 and Housing Pledge funding for Kickstart and LA New Build are treated as single spending programmes. The additional funding provided for NAHP as part of the Pledge is treated as part of the mainstream NAHP programme. The announced funding for each region listed as follows is given against these total budgets.
	
		
			  Announcements 2009-10: (in £ millions) 
			  Region  NAHP  Kickstart round 1 (approved including approved subject to conditions)  LA New Build (approved) 
			 East of England 132 22 0 
			 East Midlands 42 50 16 
			 London 521 64 41 
			 North East 5 51 12 
			 North West 61 62 17 
			 South East 153 50 9 
			 South West 162 25 10 
			 West Midlands 94 68 8 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 61 56 27 
			 Total 1,230 449 141 
			  Note: Figures may not sum due to roundings. 
		
	
	We have on 16 December 2009 also announced short-listed projects for round two of Kickstart for a share of up to £550 million. All the projects will now go through a rigorous final assessment by the Homes and Communities Agency to determine which will get the green light. As this funding is intended to support the housebuilding industry when it needs it most, one of the key factors will be the ability to complete building work by March 2012.
	
		
			  Kickstart round 2 announcement of short-listed projects 
			  Region  Amount of investment (in £ millions) 
			 East of England 73 
			 East Midlands 61 
			 London 94 
			 North East 28 
			 North West 72 
			 South East 83 
			 South West 63 
			 West Midlands 46 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 30 
		
	
	The 2009-10 budget for each of these programmes is available in the Homes and Communities Agency's Corporate Plan 2009-10.

Housing: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take to provide accommodation in Leeds to meet the city's projected population increase.

Ian Austin: Current market conditions are challenging, but there is strong pent-up demand for new homes. Therefore we remain committed to achieving a step-change in housing supply whilst recognising the scale of the challenge this entails, and want to see a swift and sustainable recovery in housing. A sufficient, suitable supply of land for housing, which responds to market signals and rising demand, will be critical to achieving this. We therefore announced a proposal to improve the quality of the five-year supply of economically viable sites that are required under PPS3 in the pre-Budget report, as well as other work to improve the delivery of housing.
	We are keen to see all local authorities put in place an adopted Core Strategy. Leeds city council has the highest housing requirement figure in the country. Provision for this will be demonstrated in their emerging Core Strategy. The council has recently ended a round of formal consultation on this document, which has an expected publication date of September 2010 and submission in January 2011. It is hoped that the Core Strategy will be adopted by November 2011.
	The scale of its housing requirements means that Leeds city council is a national priority. The Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber, the Planning Inspectorate, the Planning Advisory Service and the Department are giving as much aid and assistance as possible to ensure a prompt production of the Core Strategy to put in place the delivery mechanisms for housing to meet the requirements.
	We have also taken measures to support the construction industry, including the biggest council house building programme for nearly two decades, from which I am pleased that Leeds has benefited. I am also pleased to be working with the Leeds City Region Partnership on its Urban Eco Settlement initiative, which includes the Aire Valley in Leeds where we are already investing Kickstart funding and which has further potential to contribute to the delivery of the housing that Leeds needs.

Housing: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average house price in Leeds West constituency was  (a) five,  (b) 10 and  (c) 15 years ago.

Ian Austin: House price information is not available by constituency only by local authority. The average house prices for Leeds are as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 January 1995 (earliest available data) 57,747 
			 January 2000 60,499 
			 January 2005 133,378 
			 October 2009 (latest available data) 129,565

Housing: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to enable Leeds housing associations to access funds provided by his Department for new housing development.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) allocates funds through a process of Continuous Market Engagement (CME) whereby bids for funding can be submitted through this ongoing process following discussions with local authorities and HCA Investment and Regeneration Managers. Monthly clinics are held at which bids from housing associations are discussed and prioritised.
	At the end of November 2009, £50.9 million had been allocated in Leeds for 1,609 homes under the 2008-11 National Affordable Housing Programme.
	In addition, £3.5 million has been allocated to Leeds city council under the local authority Newbuild Round 1 programme for 63 homes.
	Funds under the Kickstart round 1 programme worth £7.2 million, for 235 homes (subject to funding conditions) were announced in Leeds area in October 2009.
	Kickstart Round 2 will allocate over £30 million across Yorkshire and Humber over 23 schemes including one in Leeds. This investment will support the delivery of approximately 1,488 homes in the region by March 2012.

Housing: Valuation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties in England have a value of over £2 million.

Ian Austin: Information in the form requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However the Land Registry does publish information on the number of residential house sales over £2 million. These data are for England and Wales only and are published in their monthly House Price Index report.
	In August 2009 there were 71 properties sold for over £2 million. This is 0.1 per cent. of the 53,236 transactions for the month.

Housing: Water

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions he has held with housebuilders on the merits of including grey water recycling systems in new build homes.

Ian Austin: Officials have an ongoing dialogue with representatives of the house building industry on a wide range of issues including on building standards for new homes.

Infrastructure Planning Commission: Pay

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) basic salary,  (b) bonus structure,  (c) employers' pension contribution and  (d) benefits in kind are for each commissioner and director, including the Chief Executive, of the Infrastructure Planning Commission; and what their contracted hours per week are in each case.

John Healey: The remuneration packages and range for the Infrastructure Planning Commission's (IPC) commissioners, chief executive officer and directors are provided in the following table:
	
		
			  Infrastructure planning Commission (IPC) 
			  Title  Basic salary  Bonus structure  Employer's pension contribution  Benefits in kind  Contracted hours 
			 Chair £184,000 None Not pensionable None 4 days 
			 Interim CEO (on secondment from CLG) £105,000 An annual non consolidated bonus up to 10 per cent. based on performance CLG pension scheme PCSPS None 42 hours 
			 Deputy chairs £425 day rate None Not pensionable None Day rate 
			 Commissioners £385 day rate None Not pensionable None Day rate(1) 
			 Directors £89,000 to £100,000 (2)- LGPS contribution 14 per cent. Relocation expenses up to £8,000 max for two directors 42 hours 
			 (1) Commissioners will work between three to five days per week. (2) Directors have an opportunity to earn a non consolidated, performance related bonus, details of which will be developed as part of future pay remits and in line with SCS arrangements.

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for the commencement of each of the substantive provisions of the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

Rosie Winterton: The arrangements for the commencement of provisions contained in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 are set out in sections 148 and 149 of the Act. A number of provisions will come into force on a day specified by the Secretary of State.
	Commencement Order No. l (2009 No. 3087 (C.137)) was made on 24 November 2009. This commenced a number of minor provisions relating to the local authority economic assessment duty and the regional strategy.
	We plan to make a further commencement order shortly. The likely details of this are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Provision  Commencement date 
			 Economic prosperity boards/combined authorities (Sections 88 to 113, sections 118 to 120  Schedule 6) Day after the order is made 
			 Economic prosperity boards/combined authorities (Sections 114 to 117) 12 January 2010 
			 Duty of public authorities to secure involvement 1 April 2010 
			 Scrutiny officers (section 31) 1 April 2010 
			 Local government boundary and electoral change 1 April 2010 
			 Remaining provisions relating to the local authority economic assessment duty 1 April 2010 
			 Remaining provisions relating to the regional strategy 1 April 2010 
		
	
	My Department published a consultation on draft statutory guidance and secondary legislation to support the petitions duty on 2 December. The consultation includes questions about the most appropriate timescale for bringing the provisions into force. Ministers will take a decision about when to commence the petitions duty after the consultation closes on 24 February.
	The Government recognise the importance of embedding the promotion of democracy and engagement of local people at the heart of local government. We have recently consulted on how best to engage with and strengthen the role of local people, to influence decisions in their local area and restore the status of the town hall by boosting the status, powers and accountability of local councils. We will be responding to the Strengthening Local Democracy consultation in due course.
	The duty to promote democracy is important in helping take this work forward and we want to ensure that its introduction has a positive and proactive response from local government given the likely costs involved in implementing it effectively. We have therefore been looking at when the duty should be implemented. We have concluded that given the current economic situation implementation of the duty should be considered as part of the next spending review.
	In respect of the audit and mutual insurance provisions in Part 2, it will be necessary to prepare and consult on draft regulations and guidance before we commence the provisions. Any final decision on commencement will depend on the outcome of this consultation.
	The commencement date for construction contract provisions in Part 8 is dependent on the revision of the Scheme for Construction Contracts (England and Wales) Regulations 1998. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will consult on the necessary changes in the new year.

Local Development Frameworks

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local planning authorities will be required to amend their Local Development Frameworks to bring them in line with National Policy Statements.

Ian Austin: Local planning authorities must have regard to national policy, including National Policy Statements, when preparing development plan documents in their local development framework.
	When National Policy Statements are adopted local planning authorities should have regard to them when they next review their LDF documents.

Local Government

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the recent protocol to the Charter of Local Self-Government; and what steps will be required to implement the Charter's provisions in England.

Rosie Winterton: I have today placed in the Library a copy of the Additional Protocol to The European Charter of Local Self-Government on the Right to Participate in the Affairs of a Local Authority which I signed on behalf of the United Kingdom at the recent conference of Ministers responsible for local and regional government at Utrecht. We intend, subject to Parliament not disagreeing, to ratify the Protocol as soon as practicable after consultation with the Local Government Association and other stakeholders and formally laying it before Parliament. As will be explained in the White Paper that we will present to Parliament when laying the Protocol, we believe that the United Kingdom already complies with the Protocol and no new legislative provision is required.

Local Government Finance

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will make an assessment of the potential efficiency savings which could be achieved through closer integration of local authority and national park authority  (a) planning,  (b) personnel and payroll,  (c) democratic services and  (d) marketing functions.

Ian Austin: The English National Park Authorities and the Broads Authority are expected to operate as efficiently as possible. This includes sharing services with local authorities or other organisations whenever that is cost-effective and when they can do so without impeding their ability to deliver the statutory National Park purposes.

Local Government Finance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much gross revenue has been raised from the parish precept on council tax in each year since 1997-98.

Barbara Follett: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Parish precepts: England 
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 144 
			 1998-99 154 
			 1999-2000 165 
			 2000-01 181 
			 2001-02 193 
			 2002-03 210 
			 2003-04 226 
			 2004-05 241 
			 2005-06 260 
			 2006-07 279 
			 2007-08 299 
			 2008-09 322 
			 2009-10 340 
			  Source:  Budget Requirement (BR) returns from local authorities.

Local Government Finance

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how much  (a) in total and  (b) per capita is planned to be provided through the (i) provisional local authority formula grant and (ii) adjusted provisional local authority formula grant in (A) England, (B) the South West Region, (C) each local authority in the South West Region in financial year (1) 2009-10 and (2) 2010-11;
	(2)  how much  (a) in total and  (b) per capita was provided through the (i) local authority formula grant and (ii) adjusted local authority formula grant for (A) England, (B) the South West Region and (C) each local authority in the South West Region in each year from 1997-98 to 2008-09.

Barbara Follett: A table showing the year-on-year change on a like-for-like basis for all local authorities for the period 1998-99 to 2010-11 has been placed in the Library.
	The Department only holds data on adjusted formula grant from 1997-98. This is because it only became necessary to make these adjustments when guarantees were introduced that ensured that no authority could lose grant, year-on-year, on a like-for-like basis. Consequently it is not possible to provide the increases on a like-for-like basis for 1997-98.
	The previous year's formula grant is adjusted for changes in function and funding to enable a like-for-like comparison. This is the only purpose of the adjustment: the local authority's grant for the previous year is not changed.
	Formula Grant comprises Revenue Support Grant, redistributed business rates, principal formula Police Grant, SSA Reduction Grant (SSA Review), SSA Reduction Grant (Police Funding Review) and Central Support Protection Grant where appropriate.
	Before 2006-07, support for schools was paid through formula grant. In 2006-07 funding for schools was transferred to the Dedicated Schools Grant. That is why all authorities which have responsibility for schools will see a large decrease in their grant between 2005-06 and 2006-07 on an absolute (non like-for-like) basis.
	Before 2006-07, the main measure of population used in the Local Government Finance Settlement was the sub-national estimates. From 2006-07 onwards, sub-national population projections were used instead. The per head figures have been calculated using the main measure of population used for each settlement.

Local Government Services: Fees and Charges

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on the application of the provisions of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 to charged-for discretionary services.

Barbara Follett: The Department has not issued guidance to local authorities on the application of the provisions of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 where the local authority charges for discretionary services provided by it.
	Guidance to local authorities and other best value authorities on the general power to charge for discretionary services is given in guidance issued in 2003 and found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/localgovernment/pdf/151291.pdf

Local Government: Compensation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requirements there are on local authorities to have a policy on redress and compensation for failure of their services.

Rosie Winterton: Local authorities are expected to have an effective complaints system that achieves redress for citizens if things go wrong. An independent review into redress for local authority services, which reported in June 2009, identified that clearly setting out what will happen if things go wrong alongside service standards was one of the areas that makes the biggest difference to the customer experience. The evidence considered by the review team showed that the key factor for people in feeling that their concern had been adequately dealt with was not receiving compensation, but having their problem effectively resolved.
	A copy of the review is available on the Communities and Local Government website at
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/gettingitrightreport

Local Government: Disabled People

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many claims for compensation against Chorley Borough Council for failure to comply with disability equality schemes have been upheld in the last two years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.

Local Government: Pensions

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether an assessment has been made of the effect of the reduction of gilt yields resulting from quantitative easing on the levels of Local Government Pension Scheme pension deficits.

Barbara Follett: The actuarial valuation exercise by Local Government Pension Scheme administering authorities due in March 2010 will take full account of this, and all the other factors which are relevant to each of the scheme's pension funds.

Local Government: Pensions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 16 February 2006,  Official Report, column 2211W, on advanced corporation tax relief, what the monetary value is of the additional sum that has been provided to mitigate the effect of the abolition of advanced corporation tax relief on the local government pension scheme in each year since 1998.

Barbara Follett: The reply given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 16 February 2006,  Official Report, column 2211W, confirmed that the value of the £130 million provided in 1998 to offset the impact of the abolition of advanced corporation tax on the Local Government Pension Scheme has been fully protected through indexation.

Local Government: Pensions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent annual report of each individual administering authority of the Local Government Pension Scheme that is held by his Department.

Barbara Follett: This information is not held centrally. However, administering authorities are required to publish their annual report locally. A copy of each authority's report can be obtained from that authority and, in some cases, from their website.

Local Government: Per Capita Costs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average central Government grant per capita was to  (a) district councils,  (b) unitary councils,  (c) county councils,  (d) metropolitan councils,  (e) London boroughs,  (f) police authorities and  (g) fire authorities in each year since 1997-98.

Barbara Follett: The average central Government grant per capita for the classes of authority specified since 1997-98 is as follows:
	
		
			  £ per head 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 District councils 65 62 63 65 68 71 78 75 79 91 94 98 
			 Unitary councils 604 633 674 728 775 823 951 980 1,042 1,085 1,132 1,201 
			 County councils 501 476 505 549 588 616 691 730 772 800 841 889 
			 Metropolitan councils 674 723 775 834 897 947 1,097 1,165 1,238 1,288 1,341 1,414 
			 London boroughs 801 841 890 947 1,006 1,052 1,184 1,239 1,307 1,355 1,416 1,473 
			 Police authorities(1) 117 120 122 108 115 118 126 130 136 135 142 145 
			 Fire authorities(2)(,3) 12 12 13 9 9 9 10 24 24 22 22 23 
			 (1) From 2000-01 onwards Metropolitan Police Authority data are collected within Greater London Authority. Hence separate data are not available. (2) From 2000-01 onwards London Fire and Civil Defence Authority data are collected within Greater London Authority. Hence separate data are not available. (3) From 2004-05 onwards Combined Fire Authorities (CFA) became precepting authorities.  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn (RO) returns from 1997-98 to 2008-09 
		
	
	The definition of central Government grant used here is the sum of Formula Grant (revenue support grant, redistributed non-domestic rates and police grant), Greater London Authority (GLA) grant and specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF), i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services. In past years, where applicable the SSA reduction grant and Central Support Protection Grants have also been included. From 2008-09 it also includes Area Based Grant (ABG).
	Figures exclude grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), capital grants, funding for the local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.
	Per capita figures are calculated using Office for National Statistics' (ONS) Mid-Year Population estimates from 1997 to 2008.
	From 2000-01 onwards Metropolitan Police Authority and London Fire and Civil Defence Authority data are collected within Greater London Authority returns. Hence separate data are not available.
	From 2004-05 Combined Fire Authorities (CFA) became precepting authorities. Prior to this CFAs levied on county councils' budget requirements.
	Comparison across years may not be valid owing to changing local authority responsibilities.

Local Government: Reorganisation

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what timetable has been set for the restructuring of local government in Norfolk, Suffolk and Devon.

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to lay before Parliament an order to implement unitary local government in Devon, Norfolk or Suffolk.

Rosie Winterton: As I told the House on 8 December,  Official Report, column 13WS, until 19 January 2010 representations may be made to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State about the Boundary Committee's advice on unitary proposals for Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk, and about the unitary proposals made by Exeter, Ipswich and Norwich.
	Thereafter, recognising the need to end uncertainty, the Secretary of State intends to move forward as quickly as practicable. Having regard to the Boundary Committee's advice, all the representations he receives, and all other relevant information available to him, he intends to take his statutory decisions as to whether to implement, with or without modification, any of the unitary proposals before him, or to take no action.
	If the Secretary of State decides to implement a proposal, he will lay before Parliament a draft of an order which, if approved, he will make to give effect to his decision.

Local Government: Standards

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost to  (a) the Audit Commission and  (b) local authorities of the Comprehensive Area Assessment regime to date.

Rosie Winterton: Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA) is a joint inspectorate assessment framework that replaces several preceding assessments and the annual cost of delivering it spans the relevant inspectorates and their sponsoring Departments.
	The cost to the Audit Commission of its work on CAA is covered by a mixture of the fees paid by local authorities and direct grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG). In 2009-10, the first year of CAA, the cost is estimated to be £26.9 million. This is funded by £6.7 million inspection fees paid by local authorities, and £20.2 million grant from CLG which includes Fire and Rescue Authority work. The Use of Resources element of CAA is included in the work of auditors appointed by the Commission which is funded by audit fees paid by local authorities.
	The Audit Commission, on behalf of the joint inspectorates responsible for CAA, has commissioned an independent evaluation of CAA. This will look at implementation and delivery of the new arrangements, co-ordination across inspectorates and the initial cost to inspected bodies. A report is expected in March 2010.

Local Government: Suffolk

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse has been of legal costs associated with the High Court and Court of Appeal cases on the Boundary Committee's Structural Review of Suffolk.

Rosie Winterton: All the legal costs of all the parties in this case will fall on the public purse. The Court of Appeal has made an order requiring the councils which initiated the case-Forest Heath district council, St. Edmundsbury borough council and Suffolk Coastal district council-to pay all of the Boundary Committee's costs in the administrative court and the Court of Appeal, in addition to their own costs. Whilst we do not hold information as to the amount of the costs of the authorities or of the Boundary Committee, we assess that the Secretary of State's legal costs, to be met by him as an interested party in the case, are some £34,300.

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much has been spent by  (a) the Homes and Communities Agency,  (b) the Tenant Services Authority,  (c) the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit and  (d) his Department on media monitoring since the start of 2009-10.

John Healey: Since the start of financial year 2009-10, the Homes and Communities Agency, has spent £22,658.20 (not including VAT) on media monitoring. The Tenant Services Authority has spent £13,747.70 (including VAT) and the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit has identified costs of £756.0 (not including VAT). The Department has spent £266,835 (including VAT) on media monitoring. The figure for the Department comprises the subscription charges to the Central Office of Information's Media Monitoring Service and externally procured contracts for national and regional press cuttings.

Mass Media

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by  (a) the Homes and Communities Agency,  (b) the Tenant Services Authority,  (c) the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit and  (d) his Department on media monitoring in each of the last three years.

John Healey: The Homes and Communities Agency and the Tenant Services Authority were both created on the 1 December 2008. Between 1 December 2008 and 31 March 2009, the Homes and Communities Agency spent £8,475.30 (not including VAT) on media monitoring. Over the same period, the Tenant Services Authority spent £10,160.34 (including VAT) on media monitoring. The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit were established in February 2007. It did not subscribe to a media monitoring service in that financial year. For financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09 figures are not separately identifiable.
	In financial year 2008-09, the Department spent a total of £335,935.13 on media monitoring. The figure for the Department comprises the subscription charges to the Central Office of Information's Media Monitoring Service and externally procured contracts for national and regional press cuttings.
	In respect of monitoring for financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan) to the hon. Member for South-West Surrey (Mr. Hunt) on 29 October 2008,  Official Report, columns 1138-39W.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of mortgage lenders have declined to participate directly in the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme;
	(2)  which sub-prime lenders have refused to take part in the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme.

John Healey: We have acted rapidly to put in place a range of help and support at every stage for households struggling with their mortgage. Homeowners Mortgage Support provides a valuable backstop if repossession cannot be prevented in other ways by giving struggling borrowers a breathing space to recover their finances. Lenders covering over 90 per cent. of the residential mortgage market (based on 2008 data from the Council of Mortgage Lenders) have committed to offering this level of extended forbearance: of these, lenders representing over 50 per cent. of the market are offering the Government-backed scheme and over 40 per cent. of the market are offering similar levels of support through their own forbearance without the need for Government guarantee. A list of these lenders can be accessed at:
	www.direct.gov.uk/hms
	The Government are continuing to engage with those lenders who have not yet made a clear commitment to offer Homeowners Mortgage Support. The Financial Services Authority published the conclusions of its Mortgage Markets Review in October, setting out plans to strengthen regulation of arrears management and charges. This is to include converting their current guidance on forbearance into binding rules that prescribe a non-exhaustive list of tools that firms must employ to help consumers in arrears, including consideration of Government schemes put in place to help borrowers.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of the accepted offers by households under the Mortgage Rescue Scheme between January and September 2009 have been recorded as completed.

John Healey: All accepted offers reported by local authorities between January and September 2009 had also been recorded as completed by the end of September 2009 by the Homes and Communities Agency following draw down of grant by the registered social landlord.
	The data on the Mortgage Rescue Scheme are official statistics, under which an accepted offer is recorded once contracts between the household, lender and registered social landlord have been signed and finalised.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much of the £80 million for the Mortgage Rescue Scheme announced in April has been spent in each region.

John Healey: We have acted rapidly to put in place a range of help and support for households struggling with their mortgage at every stage, and launched a campaign to ensure households have clear information about the help available.
	In April's Budget we announced increased help for homeowners facing repossession, including an expansion of the mortgage rescue scheme to include households in negative equity.
	Data published in November for the July to September period show that there were over 1,100 'live' cases, of which 690 cases had benefited from action to stop the immediate threat of repossession and almost 100 households had completed the process and been able to remain in their homes. Regional spend to end September is broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Region  Total spend (£) 
			 East Midlands 324,128 
			 Eastern 1,577,092 
			 London 803,878 
			 North West 997,539 
			 South East 950,950 
			 South West 275,159 
			 West Midlands 2,090,657 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 268,866 
			 Total 7,288,269

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when figures for the take-up of the  (a) Mortgage Rescue Scheme and  (b) Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme will next be published.

John Healey: We have acted rapidly to put in place a range of help and support for households struggling with their mortgage at every stage, and launched a campaign to ensure households have clear information about the help available.
	Mortgage Rescue Scheme summary monitoring statistics are published on a quarterly basis on the Department's website. Figures can be accessed using the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/statistics/mortgagerescuestatistics
	Statistics for the October-December period will be published on 11 February 2010.
	Management information on Homeowners Mortgage Support was released by the Department on 9 December 2009. Figures can be accessed using the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1408110
	Information on Homeowners Mortgage Support will next be published by spring 2010.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in City of York Council area have participated in the Government's temporary scheme to reduce the number of mortgage repossessions during the economic downturn.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Members for Ashford (Damian Green), Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) and Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb) on 14 December,  Official Report, columns 914-915W.

Non-Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have exercised their powers under section 49 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to reduce or remit the payment of business rates in cases of hardship in  (a) 2008-09 and  (b) 2009-10 on the latest date for which figures are available.

Barbara Follett: The following local authorities have reported to Communities and Local Government that they granted hardship relief in 2008-09, the latest date for which figures are available:
	Aylesbury Vale, Barnsley, Basingstoke and Deane, Bedford, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Blyth Valley, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bristol, Broxbourne, Cannock Chase, Castle Morpeth, Charnwood, Crewe and Nantwich, Daventry, Derby, Derwentside, Easington, East Devon, East Hampshire, East Lindsey, East Riding of Yorkshire, East Staffordshire, Eastleigh, Exeter, Forest Heath, Forest of Dean, Greenwich, Hackney, Harrogate, High Peak, Horsham, Huntingdonshire, Ipswich, Kennet, Kensington and Chelsea, Kerrier, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk, Kirklees, Knowsley, Leeds, Leicester UA, Lewes, Luton UA, Macclesfield, Mansfield, Mendip, Mid Bedfordshire, Mid Sussex, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, North Cornwall, North East Derbyshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Tyneside, North Warwickshire, Norwich, Purbeck, Redcar and Cleveland, Richmondshire, Rother, Rotherham, Salisbury, Sandwell, Scarborough, Sedgemoor, Selby, Sevenoaks, Sheffield, Shepway, Slough, South Bedfordshire, South Derbyshire, South Gloucestershire, South Lakeland, South Northamptonshire, South Ribble, St. Albans, Stevenage, Stratford-on-Avon, Stroud, Sutton, Tendring, Tewkesbury, Thanet, Tower Hamlets, Tynedale, Vale Royal, Wandsworth, Warrington, Waveney, West Devon, West Dorset, West Wiltshire, Westminster, Weymouth and Portland, Wigan, Woking, Wolverhampton, Wychavon, Wycombe, Wyre Forest.
	The information was reported on the annual national non-domestic rates (NNDR3) form completed by all billing authorities in England.
	Data for 2009-10 will not be available until the autumn of 2010.

Non-Domestic Rates

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which 50 individual hereditaments in Greater London have the greatest percentage increase in rateable values from the 2005 rating list to the draft 2010 rating list; what the rateable value was in each case  (a) before and  (b) after revaluation; and what the (i) address and (ii) local billing authority is in each case.

Barbara Follett: The table shows the billing authority and the rateable values on the 2005 Rating List and on the draft 2010 Rating List of the 50 individual hereditaments in Greater London which saw the biggest percentage increase in the period between the two lists, as at 29 May 2009. These data are consistent with the consultation document titled: The Transitional Arrangements for the Non-Domestic Rating Revaluation 2010 in England, published on 8 July 2009. A copy of this can be found at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nndrrevaluation2010
	No address information other than postcode is held in the dataset used for the analysis. The address, 2005 list rateable value and 2010 draft list rateable value from the live database for each hereditament in the central and local rating lists are published on the Valuation Office Agency's website and this information is updated weekly:
	http://www.voa.gov.uk/
	
		
			  £ 
			  Rank  Billing authority  Rateable value on the 2005 ratings list  Rateable value on the draft 2010 ratings list 
			 1 Hackney (1)- 11,000 
			 2 Bromley 1,000 16,000 
			 3 Islington 23,000 450,000 
			 4 Hackney 13,000 225,000 
			 5 Haringey 1,000 8,000 
			 6 Greenwich 5,000 68,000 
			 7 Bromley 1,000 8,000 
			 8 Southwark 14,000 185,000 
			 9 Harrow 1,000 10,000 
			 10 Bromley 3,000 37,000 
			 11 Tower Hamlets 10,000 108,000 
			 12 Hackney 8,000 83,000 
			 13 Hillingdon 14,000 141,000 
			 14 Sutton 1,000 12,000 
			 15 Tower Hamlets 21,000 206,000 
			 16 Brent (1)- 3,000 
			 17 Tower Hamlets (1)- 3,000 
			 18 Hackney 6,000 55,000 
			 19 Wandsworth 1,000 7,000 
			 20 Camden 76,000 665,000 
			 21 Richmond upon Thames 3,000 24,000 
			 22 Tower Hamlets (1)- 3,000 
			 23 City of Westminster 8,000 70,000 
			 24 Ealing 10,000 84,000 
			 25 Kensington and Chelsea 1,000 11,000 
			 26 Greenwich 6,000 46,000 
			 27 Hammersmith and Fulham 2,000 17,000 
			 28 Greenwich 2,000 16,000 
			 29 Greenwich 3,000 21,000 
			 30 Southwark 6,000 43,000 
			 31 Lambeth 13,000 96,000 
			 32 Islington 3,000 20,000 
			  Islington 5,000 35,000 
			 34 Newham (1)- 3,000 
			 35 Southwark 2,000 14,000 
			 36 Enfield 1,000 3,000 
			 37 Tower Hamlets 11,000 70,000 
			 38 Lambeth 3,000 16,000 
			 39 Islington 5,000 32,000 
			 40 Barnet 9,000 59,000 
			 41 Barnet 9,000 59,000 
			 42 Barnet 7,000 46,000 
			 43 Enfield 20,000 126,000 
			 44 Tower Hamlets 55,000 350,000 
			 45 Camden 23,000 146,000 
			 46 City of Westminster 19,000 121,000 
			 47 Barnet 2,000 13,000 
			 48 Newham 4,000 26,000 
			 49 City of Westminster 12,000 71,000 
			 50 City of London 17,000 100,000 
			 (1) Less than £500.  Note: The figures are rounded to the nearest thousand. 
		
	
	Rateable values are based on rental value at a set valuation date-1 April 2003 and 1 April 2008 for the 2005 and the new 2010 rating lists respectively. At each revaluation a completely fresh valuation of each property is made and it is to be expected that values will change at differential rates reflecting the change in demand for property over time.
	The five-yearly business rates revaluations make sure each business pays its fair contribution and no more by ensuring the share of the national rates bill paid by any one business reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others. The 2010 revaluation will not raise a single extra penny for Government.
	Over a million properties will see their business rate liabilities come down as a result of revaluation. The Government intend to put in place a £2 billion relief scheme to limit the impact on the minority with bill increases. That is on top of the wider support available to help ease business pressures including discounted rate bills for small businesses and deferring tax payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside of 9 November 2009,  Official Report, column 75W, on non-domestic rates: ports, if he will place in the Library a copy of the communication received from the trade association.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst on 20 July 2009,  Official Report, column 823-24W.

Non-Domestic Rates: Ports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in respect of how many individual hereditaments in each port he expects backdated payments of business rates to be required.

Barbara Follett: As of 26 October 2009, there are 727 hereditaments within the 45 large statutory ports and container terminals in England with a liability for business rates backdated to 1 April 2005.
	The Government have listened to the concerns of businesses with significant and unexpected backdated bills, including some within ports. It has legislated to allow such bills to be repaid over an unprecedented eight years period rather than in one single instalment. This will help affected businesses to manage their cash flows during the downturn by reducing the amount they are required to pay immediately by 87 per cent.
	As at 8 October 2009, local authorities have reported that ratepayers occupying 221 properties within ports had fully discharged their backdated liability and ratepayers occupying a further 200 business properties within ports had been granted a schedule of payments.

Non-Domestic Rates: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what primary description codes the Valuation Office Agency uses for classifying hereditaments for business rates.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The primary description codes contained within the Rating Lists will be placed in the Library.

Non-Domestic Rates: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty commercial properties in City of York Council area were exempt from commercial rates under the Government's temporary exemption scheme in 2009; what the monetary value was of the rate income foregone; and what the financial effects of such relief on City of York Council were.

Barbara Follett: Data about the number of empty commercial properties in 2009 have not yet been collected. It is planned that these data will be requested from all billing authorities in England as at 31 December 2009.
	Data on the value of the empty property rate relief granted in 2009-10 will be collected on the annual national non-domestic rates (NNDR3) form completed by all billing authorities in England after the end of the current financial year.
	Any non-domestic rate relief granted because properties are empty has no financial effect on a billing authority. Any relief granted reduces the amount of national non-domestic rates an authority will be able to collect and subsequently required to contribute to the national non-domestic rates pool. If an authority awards more relief than envisaged at the budget stage, and consequently collects less non-domestic rates, measures are available to the authority to reduce its contribution to the pool either within year or after the year has ended.

North East Economic Forum

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding  (a) his Department,  (b) the Government Office for the North East and  (c) the North East Assembly has provided to the North East Economic Forum in each year since 2005.

Rosie Winterton: The Department for Communities and Local Government, Government Office for the North East and the North East Assembly (and its successor body) have not made any payments to the North East Economic Forum.

Ordnance Survey

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will limit the free release of Ordnance Survey data to that in respect of which the Government is a monopoly supplier.

Ian Austin: The Prime Minister proposed on 17 November to release for free and for reuse, including commercially, some Ordnance Survey data relating to administrative and electoral boundaries, mid-scale mapping and postcode areas. The purpose of the forthcoming consultation is to set out the proposal in greater detail and to hear feedback, including on the impact on the wider market in which Ordnance Survey operates.

Planning

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the written statement of 24 November 2009,  Official Report, column 38WS, on departmental expenditure limit (2009-10), what the unfunded legal challenges on planning that have required the £400,000 of funding were; and for what reasons each such challenge was made.

Ian Austin: In 2008 appeals were submitted against non-determination of three planning applications for sustainable urban extensions in Daventry. Funding was provided to enable West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) to be represented at the inquiry. Further details of the appeals are published on the WNDC website:
	http://www.wndc.co.uk/whats_happening_in_my_area/daventry/daventry_planning_appeals/daventry_planning_appeals_home.aspx

Property Development: Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress is being made on the revision of building regulations to ensure that new or refurbished buildings in high flood-risk areas are flood resistant and resilient.

Ian Austin: We continue to take forward policy development, including on flood resilience and resistance, in preparation for a wider public consultation on Parts A (Structure) and C (Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture) as set out in the Future of Building Control-Implementation Plan.
	In advance of this, we will also be consulting in the spring of 2010 on issues that might be reflected in future flood performance standards for new buildings and repairs and how they might be incorporated in the Building Regulations. This consultation will also inform decisions on any legislative changes that may be needed in advance of those planned in the Future of Building Control.

Public Bodies: Pay

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to his Department's publication Amending the accounts and audit regulations 2003 (SI 2003 No. 533) to improve the transparency of reporting of remuneration of senior officials in public bodies: Summary of responses and Government response, if he will place in the Library a copy of the full response from the  (a) Association of Council Secretaries and Solicitors,  (b) Association of Local Authority Chief Executives,  (c) Association of Principal Fire Officers,  (d) Audit Commission,  (e) Broads Authority,  (f) Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy,  (g) Fire Officers' Association,  (h) GMB-Britain's General Union,  (i) Greater Manchester Pension Fund,  (j) Information Commissioner's Office Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators,  (k) Local Government Employers,  (l) Merseyside Pension Fund,  (m) National Association of Local Councils and Somerset Association of Local Councils,  (n) North Yorkshire Pension Fund Committee,  (o) Police Authority Treasurers' Society,  (p) Society of County Treasurers,  (q) Society of District Council Treasurers,  (r) Society of Local Authority Chief Executives Enterprises and  (s) UNISON.

Barbara Follett: The responses on the consultation to amend the Accounts and Audit Regulations 2003 (SI 2003 No. 533) in order to improve the transparency of reporting of remuneration of senior officials in public bodies were published on the Department for Communities and Local Government website on 30 November this year at the following link:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/1364495

Public Houses: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many public houses of special category codes 226 and 227 and primary description code CL were on the Valuation Office Agency's Rating List in each local authority area in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2009.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	Special category codes 226 and 227 did not refer to Public Houses in the 1995 Rating Lists. However, I have deposited a table in the Library of the House which includes the number of public houses in the Rating Lists for each local authority in England, with primary description code CL, at April 1997 and primary description code CL and special category codes 226 and 227 at April 2009.

Regional Government

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for North Dorset of 26 November 2009,  Official Report, column 314W, on regional government: South West, what the successor body to each regional assembly is; how much funding is being allocated in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11 to each such body; and what structure and powers each such body will have that regional assemblies do not.

Rosie Winterton: Regional assemblies were designated as regional planning body with responsibility for drafting the regional spatial strategy. Following the commencement of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act the single regional strategy will be jointly prepared by local authority leaders' boards and regional development agencies.
	The funding allocated to regional assemblies or local authority leaders' boards in 2009-10 was:
	
		
			   Funding (£) 
			 North East Regional Assembly 1,747,000 
			 North West Regional Leaders Forum (4NW) 2,605,910 
			 Yorkshire and Humber Assembly 1,969,000 
			 West Midlands Regional Assembly 2,113,946 
			 East Midlands Regional Assembly 2,105,100 
			 East of England Regional Assembly £2,077,500 
			 South East of England Regional Assembly 3,166,628 
			 South West Regional Assembly 2,070,148 
		
	
	Allocations for 2010-11 have yet to be made however regional assemblies or local authority leaders' boards have been told that overall resources need to be reduced by 10 per cent.
	The structure of local authority leaders' boards is a matter for each region. Local authorities in a region are required to consult with stakeholders and submit a scheme establishing the structure to the Secretary of State for approval. Local authority leaders' boards do not have additional powers beyond those in respect of the single regional strategy.

Regional Planning and Development

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to the answer of 14 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1070W, on the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, what the timetable is for the other regional assemblies to be redesignated as new regional planning bodies.

Rosie Winterton: The Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act provides for participating authorities to make a scheme for the establishment and operation of Local Authority Leader's Boards. The Regional Development Agencies and the Leader's Boards will become the Responsible Regional Authority in each region who will be responsible for the future revision of their Regional Strategy.
	On the 25 November 2009 the Commencement Orders implementing provisions establishing Leader's Boards came into effect. Following consultation with stakeholders the participating local authorities will submit schemes for establishing Local Authority Leader's Boards to the Secretary of State for approval.
	There is no fixed timetable but the Regional Strategy elements of the Local Democracy Economic Development and Construction Act will commence on the 1(st) April 2010 at which point the designated Regional Planning Body role ceases to exist. We would hope that Leaders Board schemes would be received and approved by then.

Repossession Orders

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in  (a) City of York constituency,  (b) Yorkshire and the Humber region and  (c) the UK were repossessed in each year since 1979.

Ian Austin: There are two independent sources of data on actual numbers of mortgage possessions: The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). However, both are only available for the United Kingdom as a whole.
	The Council of Mortgage Lenders latest press release on repossessions is on their website at:
	http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/media/press/2357
	The Financial Services Authority data is available on their website at:
	http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Doing/Regulated/Returns/IRR/statistics/

Shared Ownership Schemes: Yorkshire and the Humber

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to encourage the development of shared ownership housing schemes in  (a) Leeds and  (b) West Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: We support people's aspirations to sustainable home ownership and have introduced a number of measures for first time buyers in response to current market conditions. The Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) principal product for shared ownership is Newbuild Homebuy. This is shared ownership with a housing association or partner available to households on annual income of £60,000 or less.
	In this financial year, so far Yorkshire and the Humber has delivered 211 units of low cost home ownership principally through the National Affordable Housing Programme. Of these 117 are in West Yorkshire, 20 in Leeds. The outturn figures for 2008-09 show 723 units of low cost home ownership across Yorkshire and the Humber, 313 in West Yorkshire, 110 in Leeds.
	Provision of low cost home ownership is a valuable tool in providing a mix of tenures in sustainable communities. HCA works closely with local authorities and partners to determine the most appropriate and sustainable mix of tenures in any given location.

Sheltered Housing

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the provisions of the Decent Homes Standard apply to residents of almshouses who are not in properties managed by registered social landlords.

Ian Austin: The decent homes standard only applies to social housing providers registered with the Tenant Services Authority. The standard does not apply to charitable organisations but the Almshouses Association can provide advice about accessing funding for improvements.
	In order to tackle the worst housing conditions, in April 2006, we introduced the housing health and safety rating system. This is a new way of assessing properties to make homes safer and applies to all residential properties. If a local authority considers that there is a serious (Category 1) hazard, it has a duty to take the most appropriate action. This can include serving an improvement notice on the landlord to remove the Category 1 hazard within a reasonable period of time. It is believed that responsible landlords will need, and want to be able to identify those factors that may cause hazards and carry out improvements accordingly.

Sleeping Rough and Homelessness

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what data his Department holds on the age profile of  (a) rough sleepers and  (b) homeless households; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Austin: The annual headline figure for rough sleeping published by the Department, based on local authority street counts, does not include information on age profile.
	Some information on the age profile of rough sleepers, covering London only, is available from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) database which records information about rough sleepers and contacts made by outreach services with rough sleepers.
	Data from the CHAIN database show that of the rough sleepers contacted by outreach services during 2008-09, 8 per cent. are 18-25 years; 26 per cent. are 26-35 years; 35 per cent. are 36-45 years, 20 per cent. are 46-55 years and 11 per cent. are over 55 years.
	For part  (b) of the question above, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 December 2009,  Official Report, column 991W.

Social Rented Housing: Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many funding streams to local authorities and social landlords for housing there are  (a) in total and  (b) managed by the Homes and Communities Agency.

John Healey: Information on Communities and Local Government and Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) programme funding streams on housing are set out in the Department's published annual report 2009, and for the HCA in its published annual report and financial statement for 2008-09 and its published corporate plan for 2009-10.
	The CLG annual report can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/corporate/annualreport09
	The HCA report can be found at:
	http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/Annual-Report-2009

Social Rented Housing: Standards

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of homes which have not reached the decent homes standard referred to in the Green Paper on Housing published by his Department's predecessor in 2000 by 2010.

Ian Austin: The HCA have estimated using the latest landlord statistics that we expect 304,700 (8 per cent.) of social homes to be classed as non-decent by the end of 2010.

Swimming Pools: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority swimming pools were on the Valuation Office Agency's rating list in England in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2009.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Valuation Office Agency data did not differentiate between local authority and private swimming pools in the 1995 Rating Lists. As at 1 April 1997 a total of 710 swimming pools were included in the rating lists for England, against special category code (SCAT 282).
	A special category code (SCAT 272), specific to local authority swimming pools exists in the current Rating Lists. As at 1 April 2009 there were 490 swimming pools recorded against this SCAT code.
	Local authority swimming pools may also be included in hereditaments listed under other special category codes, such as that for local authority sports and leisure centres. Information on the number of pools within hereditaments listed under other special category codes could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tenant Services Authority: Public Relations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who in his Department authorised the Tenant Services Authority to enter into a contract with the public affairs company APCO.

John Healey: The Tenant Services Authority did not seek authorisation from this Department because it was not required to do so.
	Part 2, Chapter 2 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (2008 Act) establishes that there will be a corporate body known as the regulator for social housing. The regulator is the Tenant Services Authority (TSA); the 2008 Act establishes that it is not a servant of the Crown and can therefore determine its own procedures.

Thames Gateway Delivery Unit: Public Appointments

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date each chief executive of the Thames Gateway Delivery Unit took up the appointment.

Shahid Malik: Judith Armitt, the former chief executive of the former Thames Gateway Executive took up her appointment on 1 November 2006.

Town Centres: Government Assistance

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) rural villages and  (b) market towns are eligible for funding from the Town Centre Initiative Fund.

Rosie Winterton: Funding for the initiative was allocated by considering areas in England within the top half of the index of multiple deprivation that also had higher shop vacancy rates. We recognise that rural areas have also been affected by the downturn and 30 per cent. of local authorities receiving grants under the recent announcement earlier this month are from rural areas.

HEALTH

Accident and Emergency Departments: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people resident in each constituency who have used accident and emergency services at  (a) Whittington Hospital, Islington,  (b) North Middlesex Hospital, Haringey,  (c) Royal Free Hospital, Camden and  (d) University College London Hospital in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: This information is not collected centrally.

Ambulance Services: Crimes of Violence

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many physical assaults on staff of NHS ambulance service trusts were reported in each of the last three financial years;
	(2)  how many  (a) prosecutions were brought and  (b) cautions or conditional cautions were issued following assaults against NHS staff in ambulance service trusts in each of the last three financial years;
	(3)  what the average cost per unit is of protective anti-stab vests suitable for use by NHS ambulance trust frontline emergency response personnel;
	(4)  which NHS ambulance trusts  (a) do and  (b) do not issue protective anti-stab vests as standard to their frontline emergency response personnel;
	(5)  what guidance has been issued to NHS ambulance trusts on the provision of protective anti-stab vests for frontline emergency response personnel.

Ann Keen: Since 2004-05, the number of physical assaults against staff reported by national health service bodies in England has been collected annually by the NHS Security Management Service (SMS). The number of physical assaults on staff of NHS ambulance service trusts in England reported in each of the last three financial years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Assaults 
			 2006-07 1,006 
			 2007-08 1,465 
			 2008-09 1,240 
		
	
	Information on the numbers of prosecutions, cautions and conditional cautions issued following assaults against NHS staff in ambulance service trusts in each of the last three financial years is not available centrally in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Since 2004-05, the SMS has collated annual figures on all types of reported criminal sanctions following cases of assault. The number of such sanctions reported in each of the last three financial years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Criminal sanctions 
			 2006-07 142 
			 2007-08 237 
			 2008-09 241 
		
	
	Criminal sanctions include:
	cautions and conditional cautions;
	community rehabilitation or punishment orders;
	imprisonment, including suspended sentences;
	conditional discharges; and
	fines.
	Information on the average cost per unit is of protective anti-stab vests suitable for use by NHS ambulance trust frontline emergency response personnel is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Decisions on providing protective equipment for ambulance service staff, whether as standard or following risk assessment, are for the employing trusts to make. Information on which NHS ambulance trusts issue protective anti-stab vests as standard to their frontline emergency response personnel is not available centrally.
	The SMS can assist employers through guidance on assessing risks and acting to protect staff and, where incidents do occur, on taking action against offenders. The SMS also works with stakeholders, including the Social Partnership Forum, to promote the safety and security of NHS staff. In 2006 the SMS issued the results of a study into the use of protective equipment for ambulance staff, conducted as part of the Safer Hospitals Project. The information provided in this study informs ambulance trusts on the issues they should consider when assessing whether to provide protective anti-stab vests for frontline emergency response personnel.

Ambulance Services: Standards

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance has been issued to NHS ambulance trusts on establishing criteria to use in setting target response times for Category C patients who require an ambulance response.

Mike O'Brien: Since 1 October 2004, local national health service organisations have had responsibility for managing and monitoring the ways in which local services respond to Category C calls (i.e. those presenting conditions that are not immediately serious or life threatening).

Autism

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future role of the External Reference Group on autism strategy following the submission of its report to his Department.

Phil Hope: The External Reference Group (ERG) has made an invaluable contribution to the development of the autism strategy and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the delivery of that strategy.
	Consultation with the ERG is a vital part of the development process, we will be looking for them to comment on the draft strategy, as well as discuss how the recommendations from the ERG report will be taken forward.
	We will also be looking for their input into the communications plan for the launch and dissemination of the strategy, and the consultation on guidance for commissioners and providers, due in late 2010.

Autism

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the implementation of New Horizons will help meet the needs of people with autism who also have mental health problems.

Phil Hope: The New Horizons document recognises that there are many social groups who either engage less well with services or those who are at higher risk of developing mental health problems and of social exclusion.
	The needs of people with mental health conditions who also have other issues such as those with a learning disability or autism will be further addressed as part of the developing programme of work.
	Valuing People Now sets out the importance of enabling people with learning disabilities who have mental health support needs to get the appropriate assessment and treatment they require delivered in the right place. In particular, they need to be able to access mainstream mental health services. Strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and providers need to ensure that they commission services and develop care pathways that address the needs of people with learning disabilities who also have mental health support needs.
	The Department is currently drafting a strategy for adults with autistic spectrum condition and will seek to ensure that this work is closely aligned to New Horizons.
	Copies of both documents have already been placed in the Library.

Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Trust

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visits members of his Department have made to Basildon and Thurrock NHS Trust in the last five years; and what the date and purpose of each visit was.

Phil Hope: The Department keeps records of ministerial visits dating back to January 2007. The following ministerial visits were undertaken during the period January 2007-December 2009. To provide figures for visits by departmental officials would be possible only at disproportionate costs.
	
		
			   Visits 
			  Alan Johnson  
			 30 July 2007 Tour facilities and staff engagement session, toured cardiothoracic centre and mental health unit, met with staff and patients; staff engagement session 
			 4 October 2007 Tour of building, official opening of cardiothoracic centre and engagement with staff 
			   
			  Lord Darzi  
			 4 October 2007 Tour of building, official opening of cardiothoracic centre and engagement with staff

Cancer: Health Services

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what auditing procedures are used to verify the quality and the consistency of the head and neck cancer treatment data received by the Three Counties Cancer Network from Gloucestershire Royal hospital.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not held centrally. The hon. Member may wish to approach Gloucestershire primary care trust, which is acting on behalf of the three counties cancer network, for this information directly.

Cancer: Health Services

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the merits of a two-site head and neck cancer surgical centre model, based at Worcestershire Royal hospital and Gloucestershire Royal hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: No such assessment has been undertaken by the Department. It is for the three counties cancer network to plan and develop appropriate cancer services, including those relating to head and neck cancer, in the Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire areas.

Cancer: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the survival rate for patients with cancer at each hospital in Leeds was in each of the last 20 years.

Ann Keen: The information is not available in the format requested. Information on one-year and five-year survival rates for all cancers combined are not routinely produced. The Cancer Reform Strategy's second annual report, Achieving Local Implementation, includes the latest one-year survival information on the number of cancer patients alive one year after diagnosis for the three major cancers, breast, colorectal and lung. A copy of the report has already been placed in the Library. The information that is available is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Leeds primary care trust (PCT) 
			   One-year survival rates (percentage) 2006 
			 Breast cancer 95.4 
			 Colorectal cancer 70.8 
			 Lung cancer 28.5 
			  Notes: 1. The second annual report of the Cancer Reform Strategy: Achieving Local Implementation, can be accessed via: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_109338 2. The figures are for 2006, as this is the latest available from the national cancer information service.

Cannabis: Misuse

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) people and  (b) people under 18 years old were treated for cannabis-induced psychosis in each of the last five years.

Phil Hope: Data are not collected centrally about how many people were treated for cannabis-induced psychosis each year because data counts patient episodes, not individual patient numbers, and individual patients may be seen more than once during each year.
	Data are collected centrally about the number of finished hospital admission episodes for patients with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids, under the care of a mental health consultant. This information is shown in the following table.
	Data are not collected centrally about the numbers treated for cannabis-related mental illness in primary care.
	
		
			  Finished admission episodes with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids: activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector 2004-05 to 2008-09 under consultant mental health specialties 
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Total all ages 752 786 616 579 519 
			 Aged 18 years or over 708 745 570 553 499 
			 Aged under 18 years 44 41 32 26 19 
			 Age not known 0 0 14 0 1 
			  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to Local Authority Circular (2001)10 on charges for residential accommodation, under what circumstances a local authority is permitted to terminate its contract with the care provider for the 12-week property disregard; and whether the disregard continues to qualify for an individual who sells their home before the end of the 12-week period.

Phil Hope: Local authorities have a duty to provide residential care for people who are assessed as needing such care but are unable to pay for it. Under regulation 20 of the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992, no one shall be assessed as being unable to pay for their own residential care if their capital exceeds £23,000. It is for each local authority to decide whether it has a duty to provide care for an individual, taking all the available information into account and taking its own legal advice where appropriate.
	For up to 12 weeks from the date a person is provided with local authority supported permanent residential care for the first time, the value of the dwelling the person would otherwise normally occupy as their only or main residence is disregarded from the financial assessment. If a person sells their home within the 12-week period, the disregard ceases to have effect from the date of the sale.
	If the resident has more than £23,000 in capital, including the money from the sale of their main or only residence, they will be assessed as being able to pay and should contract for their own residential care. If the resident has less than £23,000, the local authority contract should continue and the money from the sale will be taken into account in the financial assessment for charging purposes.

Departmental Art Works

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on art works in the last 12 months.

Phil Hope: Works of art displayed in the Department are from the Government Art Collection (GAC), which publishes an annual list of acquisitions. The most recent details of acquisitions made by the GAC were published on 5 October 2009 and are available on the GAC website:
	www.gac.culture.gov.uk/information/publications.asp

Departmental Manpower

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff of his Department were in its redeployment pool on 1  (a) January,  (b) April,  (c) July and  (d) October 2009.

Phil Hope: The numbers of displaced staff in the Department on the requested dates are presented in he following table.
	
		
			  Month  Number of displaced staff 
			 January 2009 16 
			 April 2009 23 
			 July 2009 12 
			 October 2009 14

Departmental Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments NHS Blood and Transplant has made to Fishburn Hedges in the last 12 months; for what purpose; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments have been made.

Gillian Merron: NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has paid £94,458.18 to Fishburn Hedges over the past 12 months for a project manager recruited through that company. The project manager has developed and manages NHSBT's organ donation public awareness campaign, which was launched in November 2009, and which is due to run until spring 2010. A copy of the job description for this post has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Public Relations

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what payments the NHS Information Centre has made to Grayling Political Strategy in each of the last three years; for what purposes such payments were made; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract under which such payments were made.

Mike O'Brien: Payments were made to perform a range of duties relating to media and communications services, including relations with trade and general media, events, press work and general public affairs advice:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2007-08 2,796.50 
			 2008-09 68,776.95 
			 2009-10 32,086.10 
		
	
	The NHS Information Centre will liaise with the Department's sponsor to ensure the relevant contracts are placed in the Library.

Departmental Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have spent on away days in the last 12 months; and what the (i) subject and (ii) location of each away day was.

Phil Hope: The Department is strongly committed to developing its staff and equipping them with the skills, knowledge and expertise they need to carry out their work. Away days make a significant contribution to such development.
	Away days are typically arranged by individual teams in the Department and involve activities such as work planning, skills development and strategic thinking. No central records of these events are kept and extracting the necessary data from local sources would entail contacting approximately 200 teams and asking them to search for and retrieve the necessary information.
	To collect this information task in the core Department would incur disproportionate costs.
	The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency has arranged the following away days in the last 12 months:
	
		
			  Date  Subject  Location  Spend (£) 
			 28 January 2009 Corporate Services team development Birmingham 1,071.52 
			 11 February 2009 Procurement Enablement team development Hinckley 5,499.51 
			 15 April 2009 Change Management Group team development Warwick University 608.16 
			 30 April 2009 Sourcing staff development Solihull 819.79 
			 17 August 2009 Centre for Evidence-based Purchasing Eynsham Hall 2,552.66 
			   Total 10,551.64 
		
	
	The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has arranged the following away days in the last 12 months:
	
		
			  Division  Date  Subject  Location  Cost (£) 
			 Licensing 8 January 2009 Licensing Division Managers SDI teambuilding and communication improvement event Missenden Abbey Conference Centre, Buckinghamshire 9,931.26 
			 IE and S 19 January 2009 GLP/GCP/PV Away Day Node Conference Centre, Hertfordshire 2,389.60 
			 Devices Medical 6 February 2009 Clinical Targets, Business Planning, Value for money and efficiency (Managers' Away Day) The Royal Horseguards, Whitehall, London 588.80 
			 Devices Medical 6 February2009 Away Day Penn, Buckinghamshire 0.00 
			 Executive Board 24 February 2009 Executive Board Away Day Springs Hotel, Wallingford, Oxfordshire 5,243.95 
			 Policy 9 March 2009 Training/development day on diversity Windrush Exhibition, Imperial War Museum, Lambeth, London 649.75 
			 VRMM 13 March 2009 SDI teambuilding event/VRMM Information for Public Health Group Away day Brit Oval, Kennington, London 6,285.13 
			 Directorate 26 March 2009 Directorate Away Day/Belbin team roles and work planning Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London 834.00 
			 Device Technology and Safety 23 April 2009 Away Day Athenaeum Hotel, Piccadilly, London 868.50 
			 Human Resources 6 May 2009 FIRO-B teambuilding event Wallacespace, Covent Garden, London 2,900.00 
			 Licensing 8 May 2009 ECSSM Away Day/Belbin team roles Brit Oval, Kennington, London 1,863.58 
			 VRMM 15 June 2009 VRMM Management Away day London Marriott Hotel County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London 1,717.39 
			 Communications 26 June 2009 CCM-Strategy day Wallacespace, Covent Garden, London 3,198.50 
			 IE and S 17 August 2009 Leadership Team Awayday Regency Hotel, South Kensington, 100 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5AG 448.00 
			 VRMM 10 September 2009 VRMM Therapeutic Review Group Away day Brit Oval, Kennington, London 1,715.23 
			 Device Technology and Safety 17 September 2009 Away Day Athenaeum Hotel, Piccadilly, London 810.00 
			 Communications 25 September 2009 Information Centre Away Day Chelsea Physic Garden, Central London 1,154.00 
			 Policy 27 October 2009 Training/development day Jodrell Laboratory, Kew Gardens, London 65.00 
			 Policy 3 November 2009 Policy Skills and Business Planning Riverside Park Plaza, Albert Embankment, London 1,419.00 
			 IE and S 17 November 2009 Away Day Hitchin Priory, Hertfordshire 2,119.37 
			 IE and S 25 November 2009 Team Building Event The Belfry, Birmingham 2,743.44 
			 VRMM 8 December 2009 VRMM Signal Management Group Away day The Raceway, Docklands, London 2,700.00 
			 Comms 15 December 2009 Senior Manager Away day Brighton 2,805.00 
			Total 52,449.50

Dietetics: Training

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many four year dietetics degrees were funded by his Department in each of the last five years.

Ann Keen: The number of training places on four year dietetics degree courses which were commissioned by the strategic health authorities in the last five years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Training places commissioned 
			  Academic year  Number 
			 2004/05 306 
			 2005/06 386 
			 2006/07 413 
			 2007/08 384 
			 2008/09 388 
			  Source: Non-Medical Education Training Quarter 4 Monitoring Returns

Dieticians: Vacancies

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies for registered dieticians at band 5 were advertised by NHS trusts in each of the last 10 years.

Ann Keen: It is not possible to identify band 5 dieticians from the NHS Vacancy Survey. The following table gives the total number of vacancies for the whole dietetic speciality for 2007, 2008 and 2009. It is not possible to identify this speciality for earlier years.
	
		
			  England  Total vacancy numbers 
			 2007 30 
			 2008 12 
			 2009 186

Food Standards Agency: Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside the Food Standards Agency's buildings attended by civil servants in that Agency there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Gillian Merron: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has spent approximately £581,117.74 on conference and away days since 2004-05.
	Away days and conference attendance are not accounted for separately in the FSA, and to provide this breakdown would incur disproportionate cost as the information is not held centrally.

Health Education: Internet

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to his Department was of developing the NHS Drinks Counter application for the iPhone.

Gillian Merron: NHS Choices developed the iPhone drinks tracker application as part of a package of interactive tools that also included a universal mobile phone tool. The total cost for the universal mobile phone and iPhone applications was £10,000.
	Between launch on 1 December and 9 December the iPhone application has been downloaded by over 35,000 individuals and has remained in the top 10 most popular iPhone applications on iTunes. It is number one in the health and fitness category.

Hospital Beds: Greater London

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many intensive care beds are available at each London acute hospital; and what recent estimate he has made of their rate of occupancy.

Mike O'Brien: Tables showing the requested information have been placed in the Library. Table 1 lists the latest published data for critical and intensive care bed occupancy at trust and strategic health authority level for London. Table 2 lists the latest published data for adult critical care bed availability for London, which is more recent than the data for bed occupancy and availability in table 1.

Hospital Wards: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) male-only wards,  (b) female-only wards,  (c) mixed sex wards and  (d) wards divided by partition into sexes there are in each hospital in Leeds.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. Information on the different types of ward in each hospital in Leeds may be obtained from local national health service organisations in the Leeds area.

Kidney Dialysis: Yorkshire and the Humber

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals in  (a) West Yorkshire and  (b) Leeds provide kidney dialysis treatment.

Ann Keen: The information requested is not collected centrally. Information on hospitals that provide kidney dialysis treatment is collected by the UK Renal Registry. The annual reports containing analysis of data from 1997 to 2008 can be found on the Renal Registry's website:
	www.renalreg.com/Reports/reports.html

Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much capital spending his Department has made in Leeds West constituency in the last three years;
	(2)  how much capital spending his Department has made in the Leeds city area in the last three years.

Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. Information is available at national health service organisation level. The following table shows the charge against the capital resource limit for the years shown for the NHS organisations in Leeds.
	
		
			  £000 
			  Name  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust 43,853 46,852 43,523 
			 Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust 1,352 268 n/a 
			 Leeds Primary Care Trust 829 2,511 4,245 
			  Notes:  The charge against the capital resource limit is calculated as follows: (a) Gross capital expenditure in accruals terms for the period; (b) Less the net book value of assets disposed of; (c) Plus any loss on disposal of donated assets; (d) Less capital grants received; and (e) Less donations. The Leeds Partnerships NHS Foundation Trust was authorised as a foundation trust on 1 August 2007. The figure for 2007-08 is consequently for the part of the year that the organisation was a NHS Trust. The 2006-07 figure is for the Leeds Mental Health Teaching NHS Trust (as it was known prior to obtaining foundation trust status). The Department does not collect data from foundation trusts, so there is no figure for 2008-09.  Source:  Audited summarisation schedules.

Mentally Ill: Homicide

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the cost of conducting a mental health homicide investigation.

Phil Hope: Strategic health authorities commission independent investigations into adverse events in mental health services, including homicides committed by mental health service users. The Department does not collect routine information or cost data on such local investigations, and nor has there been a national estimate of their cost.

NHS Connecting for Health: Consultants

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Connecting for Health spent on each of its consultancies in each financial year since 2003-04.

Mike O'Brien: Comprehensive information is not available in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

NHS: Essex

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he was first informed of the Care Quality Commission's concerns about the  (a) Basildon and Thurrock NHS Foundation Trust and  (b) Colchester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Andy Burnham: The Department was informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 13 October that it would issue Basildon and Thurrock NHS Foundation Trust with a warning notice following a healthcare associated infection inspection by CQC on 8 October. CQC continued discussions with the trust, the primary care trust and Monitor regarding wider concerns about the trust, including persistently high mortality rates and issues relating to the trust's accident and emergency department. Subsequently, the Commission formally invited Monitor to use its powers of intervention to address the failings identified. CQC informed the Department on 25 November that it had invited Monitor to intervene at the trust.
	The CQC did not contact the Department regarding Colchester NHS Foundation Trust. The intervention at Colchester has been taken by Monitor.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the evidential basis is for his determination that the NHS National programme for IT is not essential; and when his Department was first informed of this evidence.

Mike O'Brien: The national programme for information technology in the national health service is a key part of delivering modern, safe, joined-up healthcare, without which the NHS could not now function. It is always right to look for efficiencies and value for money on all major projects.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his contribution of 7 December 2009,  Official Report, column 21, what estimate he has made of the proposed £500 million efficiency saving for the National programme for IT will be derived from  (a) the Local Service Provider Detailed Care Record Service managed by BT for London and the South of England,  (b) the Local Service Provider Detailed Care Record Service managed by CSC for the North, Midlands and East of England,  (c) Choose and Book,  (d) the Electronic Prescription Service,  (e) the Summary Care Record,  (f) the Additional Supply Capacity and Capability Framework,  (g) GP Systems of Choice,  (h) GP2GP transfer,  (i) HealthSpace and  (j) the interoperability toolkit.

Mike O'Brien: These decisions remain to be taken. They will depend partly on the outcome of discussions with suppliers about the potential for reductions to the scope of the systems. We will also look carefully at the savings that can be made from the costs of managing delivery of the programme.

NHS: Information and Communications Technology

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the National programme for IT in the NHS: Project Progress Report of 16 May 2008, how much of the National programme for IT £3.6 billion budget for local costs has been spent in each local service provider region; and whether he plans to amend the budget for the programme in the next 12 months.

Mike O'Brien: Expenditure information is not available in the form requested. The figure of £3,586 million for local costs is an estimate that was made by the National Audit Office (NAO) in their report The National programme for IT in the NHS : Progress since 2006'. The NAO did not provide an estimate of the costs incurred by individual local service providers.

NHS: Ministers of Religion

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is available for the support and recruitment of multi-faith chaplains in hospitals in 2009-10.

Ann Keen: National health service trusts are responsible for delivering religious and spiritual care in a way that meets the diverse needs of their patients. We are committed to the principle of ensuring that patients and staff in the NHS have access to the spiritual care that they want, whatever faith or belief system they follow. The Department recognises the important role played by faith communities in supporting the NHS and has made available a total of £186,000 from central funding to support a multi-faith based approach to chaplaincy.

NHS: Ministers of Religion

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on support for multi-faith chaplaincy in hospitals; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: The Department recognises that we live in a diverse society and is committed to responding sensitively and appropriately to the needs of patients and staff of diverse backgrounds, including faith communities. All national health service organisations must take account of the religious, cultural and dietary requirements of the multi-cultural and spiritually diverse communities they serve. The delivery of multi-faith chaplaincy in hospitals is a matter for local determination. However, we expect NHS trusts to follow the guidance NHS Chaplaincy: Meeting the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients and Staff (November 2003), a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.

Pharmacy: Health Services

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received on proposals to allow general practitioners to sell over-the-counter medicine.

Mike O'Brien: None.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to Annex B, footnote 4 of the Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill; for what reasons data from West Berkshire was used; and whether his Department holds equivalent data for other local authorities.

Phil Hope: The model referred to in paragraphs 5.12, 5.13 and Annex B of the impact assessment is still under development. For this reason, its output has not been incorporated into any of the figures reported in the impact assessment. The model will continue to be updated and refined as more information becomes available.
	The experience of West Berkshire was used because its clients have been assessed as having high needs under Fair Access to Care Services. The Department does not hold equivalent data for other councils.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to paragraph 3.1 of the Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill, in what ways he expects the policy to encourage better working between the health and social care systems.

Phil Hope: The Personal Care at Home Bill is a step towards setting up a new national care service. Our Green Paper, Shaping the Future of Care Together, which has already been placed in the Library, set out our vision for a national care service that promotes better joined-up working between health, housing and social care services.
	The consultation on the Green Paper closed on November 13, 2009 and we will publish a White Paper early in 2010. Also feeding into the White Paper will be the work of the ministerial group on integration of health and social care services, which has met four times with a purpose of identifying what has worked well in different parts of the country, as well as what the evidence tells us, to help push forward joined-up working.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to paragraph 7.3 of the Impact Assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill, whether local authorities with significant rural populations would receive a proportionate uplift in funding if the Personal Care at Home Bill were enacted; if he will place in the Library a copy of the outcomes of the screening equality impact assessment; and if he will publish the full equality impact assessment before the end of December 2009.

Phil Hope: Questions on both funding formulae for councils and equality are included in the current consultation and comments are invited. The consultation will close on 23 February 2010 and a response to the document will be published subsequently. The equality impact assessment screening template has been published alongside the consultation document. Both documents are available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_109139
	A copy has already been placed in the Library.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to Tables 1 and 2 of the impact assessment for the Personal Care at Home Bill, from which paragraphs of the report by the Personal Social Services Research Unit the figures were taken; and which figures in the impact assessment were taken from modelling which has not yet been published.

Phil Hope: Table 1 of the Impact Assessment is derived from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. For further detail of how the figures in table 1 were produced, I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to him on 8 December 2009,  Official Report, column 290W, 9 December 2009,  Official Report, column 495W, and 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 762W.
	The figures for older people in table 2 of the Impact Assessment are derived from the figures in table 1 and the output of Personal Social Services Research Unit's (PSSRU) micro-simulation model for older people. The specific output from the model used to produce the figures in table 2 is not included in the PSSRU technical report and has not otherwise been published.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 763W for detail on the derivation of the numbers of residential care and informal care switchers. The simple model used to determine the flows into and out of residential care has not been published. The logistic regression model used to estimate the number of informal care switchers is explained in the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 8 December 2009,  Official Report, column 290W.
	The estimate of 110,000 younger adults eligible for free personal care at home is based principally on the Referrals, Assessments and Packages of care (RAP) data from councils for 2007-08(1).
	Fair Access To Care Services (FACS) guidance on eligibility for local authorities establishes four levels of eligibility for services. These are critical, substantial, moderate and low, with critical representing the highest level of social care need.
	The RAP data shows 82,000 younger users of local authority home care and 35,000 younger users of direct payments on 31 March 2008-out of 395,000 younger recipients of community-based services. It is not known what proportion of the 117,000 who receive personal care and are in the critical need group, but it is expected that they would be the majority.
	Therefore, for the purposes of the impact assessment, it is assumed that there could be some 100,000 younger adult local authority funded users receiving personal care in the critical category. It is likely that most of them receive their care free, as their incomes are generally low. It has therefore been assumed that 90 per cent., already receive free personal care at home and that 10 per cent., make a means-tested contribution towards the cost.
	Little is known about the number of younger adults who currently fund their own care at home. It has been assumed that approximately a further 10,000 younger adults may be brought under state funding following the introduction of the Personal Care at Home Bill.
	No specific estimate of a margin of error has been made. However, the figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 to reflect the uncertainty. The figure of 110,000 should therefore be treated as an estimate.
	For information on the derivation of the estimated additional administration costs, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 765W.
	(1) The RAP data for 2007-08 can be found at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/social-care/adult-social-care-information/community-care-statistics-2007-2008:-referrals-assessments-and-packages-of-care-for-adults-england-provisional-council-data

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the regulatory impact assessment for the Personal Care Bill assumes that 14,815 people per month are to be given access to reablement.

Phil Hope: A flow of 14,815 per month is derived from the modelling assumptions listed in Annex B of the impact assessment. However, since we do not know for certain what proportion of people already benefit from re-ablement, for the purposes of the impact assessment we have assumed that 130,000 people will receive re-ablement over the course of a year. In addition, since we have not formally incorporated the anticipated benefits of re-ablement services in the impact assessment's headline figures, we believe we have been conservative about the number of people that may actually receive re-ablement.
	The model referred to in paragraphs 5.12, 5.13 and Annex B of the impact assessment is still under development. For this reason, its output has not been incorporated into any of the figures reported in the impact assessment. The model will continue to be updated and refined as more information becomes available.
	We cannot reasonably make these extrapolations because of the levels of uncertainty. Such uncertainties include the unknown detail of any future national care service and the unknown future economic climate.

Social Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2009,  Official Report, column 166W, on social services, 
	(1)  if he will extrapolate the cost in each year to 2030 to the Exchequer of free personal care on the basis that there are no uncertainties and the assumptions of the regulatory impact assessment remains applicable in each year;
	(2)  what areas of uncertainty the Department has identified; and whether each one is likely to result in  (a) increased or  (b) decreased costs;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2009,  Officia l Report, column 497W, on social services, what the figure for personal care funded from the public purse in  (a) 2015,  (b) 2020,  (c) 2025 and  (d) 2030 for each year is if the assumptions of the impact assessment of the Personal Care at Home Bill are applied regardless of uncertainty.

Phil Hope: We cannot reasonably make these extrapolations because of the levels of uncertainty. Such uncertainties include the unknown detail of any future National Care Service and the unknown future economic climate.
	It is not possible to reasonably extrapolate what effects such uncertainties may have on costs at the present time.

Swine Flu: Vaccination

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 1170-1W, on influenza: Herefordshire, how many H1N1 influenza vaccines were delivered 
	(1)  to Herefordshire by  (a) the end of November 2009 and  (b) the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  into his Department's central warehouse by  (a) the end of November 2009 and  (b) the latest date for which figures are available; how many of the H1N1 influenza vaccines were distributed to locations nationwide; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: 31,000 doses (30,000 Pandemrix and 1,000 Celvapan) of H1N1 influenza vaccine had been delivered to Herefordshire by the end of November 2009. As at 9 December 2009, 38,500 doses (37,500 Pandemrix and 1,000 Celvapan) had been delivered to Herefordshire.
	16.3 million doses (14 million Pandemrix and 2.3 million Celvapan) of H1N1 influenza vaccines were delivered into the Department's central warehouse by the end of November 2009. As at 9 December 2009, 19.2 million doses (16.1 million Pandemrix and 3.1 million Celvapan) had been delivered into the Department's central warehouse. At midday on 9 December 2009, 13.2 million doses (12.6 million Pandemrix and 0.6 million Celvapan) of H1N1 influenza vaccines had been distributed to locations nationwide.

Swine Flu: Vaccination

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the number of health service staff eligible for the H1N1 influenza vaccine; and how many health service staff have received the H1N1 influenza vaccine to date.

Gillian Merron: The estimated number of frontline national health service health care workers involved in direct patient care in England eligible for H1N1 swine flu vaccination is about one million.
	By week ending 6 December 2009, an estimated 300,000, NHS frontline health care workers involved in direct patient care had received H1N1 vaccine.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to respond to Question 300313, on commissioning of elective health service treatments, tabled on 18 November for answer on 25 November 2009.

Gillian Merron: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given on 15 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1049W.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Biofuels

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the monetary value of the average annual allocation of renewables obligation certificates to each of the biomass power stations which are under construction.

Joan Ruddock: The monetary value of ROCs is dependent on the buy out price and recycle value. However, the actual amount a generator sells a ROC for is subject to commercial negotiation between a generator and supplier. The buy out price for each ROC per MWh is announced in February prior to the obligation period it applies to and the recycle value is determined by the compliance level for that obligation period.
	Generators will receive ROCs for each MWh of eligible renewable electricity generated, once they are accredited, depending on the technology type and fuel used. Details can be found on the RO website:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/policy/renew_obs/renew_obs.aspx

Biofuels: Power Stations

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the monetary value was of the renewables obligation certificate allocated to each biomass power station in operation in 2009-10.

Joan Ruddock: The 2009-10 obligation period finishes on 31 March 2010. Records for the number of renewables obligation certificates issued to biomass power stations can be found on the Renewable and CHP Register at:
	https://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/Public/ReportManager.aspx?ReportVisibility=1ReportCategory=0
	From 1 April 2009 banding of renewable technologies was introduced. As a result of this, dedicated biomass stations using regular biomass will receive 1.5 ROCs per MWh, while those using energy crops will receive two ROCs per MWh.
	The monetary value of ROCs is dependent on the buy out price and the recycle value. However, the actual amount a generator sells a ROC for is subject to commercial negotiation between a generator and supplier. The buy out price for each ROC per MWh issued in 2009-10 is £37.19. The recycle value will be determined by the compliance level for the 2009-10 obligation period.

Biofuels: Power Stations

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the monetary value of the average annual allocation of renewables obligation certificates to each biomass power station in operation.

Joan Ruddock: The 2009-10 obligation period finishes on 31 March 2010. Records for the number of renewables obligation certificates issued to Biomass power stations can be found on the renewable and CHP Register at:
	https://www.renewablesandchp.ofgem.gov.uk/Public/ReportManager.aspx?ReportVisibility=1ReportCategory=0
	From 1 April 2009 banding of renewable technologies was introduced. As a result of this dedicated biomass stations using regular biomass will receive 1.5 ROCs per MWh while those using energy crops will receive 2 ROCs per MWh.
	The monetary value of ROCs is dependent on the buy out price and recycle value. However, the actual amount a generator sells a ROC for is subject to commercial negotiation between a generator and supplier.
	The buy out price for ROCs per MWh and the recycle value per ROC in the current and preceding obligation periods can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Obligation period  Buyout price per MWh (£)  Recycle Value per ROC presented (£) 
			 2002-03 30.00 (1)15.94 
			   (2)23.55 
			 2003-04 30.51 (1)22.92 
			   (2)23.70 
			 2004-05 31.59 (1)13.66 
			   (2)19.99 
			 2005-06 32.33 10.21 
			 2006-07 33.24 16.04 
			 2007-08 34.30 18.65 
			 2008-09 35.76 18.54 
			 2009-10 37.19 (3)- 
			 (1 )England and Wales (2) Scotland (3) Current Obligation Period

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what meetings  (a) each Minister and  (b) officials in his Department and its predecessors have had with Capita Group plc on the administration of the miners' compensation schemes since the inception of those schemes.

David Kidney: Capita became the Department's claims handling contractor for the Coal Health Compensation schemes in 2004 following their acquisition of the contract from another supplier. Capita secured the current contract for a further period following a competitive process and that contract commenced in August 2006. The current contract is due to end on 30 July 2011.
	Ministers have not been directly involved in operational meetings with Capita but are kept up dated on progress.
	At official level the core governance arrangements for managing the contract and Capita's role are by monthly contract and scheme management meetings chaired by the Head of the Coal Liabilities Unit (CLU) in DECC. In addition a range of operational and contract compliance meetings are also held regularly between CLU officials and Capita representatives.
	In addition the High Court Judges overseeing the Coal Health Compensation schemes have taken a direct interest in all aspects of the administrative handling of the claims.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  with reference to the answer of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, column 669W, on industrial diseases: compensation, on which occasions Capita Group plc has not received one hundred per cent. of the Service Level Agreement payments which could have been paid to it; and what the reasons were in each case;
	(2)  with reference to the answer of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, column 671W, on industrial diseases: compensation, who has responsibility for reviewing Capita's performance; which contractual terms Capita has  (a) met and  (b) not met; how frequently Capita's performance is assessed; and what performance measures are used in such assessments.

David Kidney: The Coal Liabilities Unit (CLU) within DECC has the responsibility for reviewing Capita's performance, with most of the Service Level Agreements (SLA) also audited by our external auditors, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
	In addition to the SLA regime, the Department's contract with Capita also provided milestone payments linked to claim settlement performance. For the Vibration White Finger Scheme, Capita earned 42.5 per cent. of the bonus available over three milestones. For the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Scheme, Capita have to date achieved 100 per cent. of the bonus available from two of the three milestones.
	The following table sets out Capita's performance under the SLA regime, which commenced in August 2006. The SLA measures listed are those that have been utilised over the contract up to February 2009.
	Since February 2009, the arrangements have changed and whilst all criteria continue to be measured and monitored, the financial incentive is only in place for the COPD quality measure.
	
		
			 SLA Description SLA Performance (%) SLA Incentive (%) Payment Audited by PwC Comments 
			 COPD Quality Representatives of Capita's Technical Team and PwC's Audit Team use a comprehensive scoring check list to verify the information Capita adjusters have used, on a random sample of claims. If an error is identified, whether it affects the final offer value or not, or whether the error results in a potential overpayment or underpayment, the SLA score is reduced. 97 91 Audited on a quarterly basis Capita's actual SLA performance was over 97% but due to the effect of a quality sliding scale (NB. SLAs have different sliding scales), any decrease in performance accelerates the loss of payments achieved, so Capita obtained 91% of the SLA incentive payment. The reason why they achieved 97% rather than 100% performance is because Capita's Technical Team and PwC identified errors in the information. 
			 VWF Quality As with COPD Quality (above), the Capita Technical Team and PwC Audit Team use a comprehensive scoring check list to verify the information Capita adjusters have used on a claim. 99.5 100 Audited on a quarterly basis Capita achieved 99.5% for performance, but due to the sliding scale, they obtained 100% of the incentive payments. 
			 COPD and VWF Disputes This SLA measures Capita's handling of COPD and VWF disputes within the timescales stated in the relevant Claims Handling Agreement. 99 97 Audited on a six monthly basis Capita achieved over 99% for performance, but obtained 97% of the incentive payments. The slight drop in performance from 100% to 99% was because Capita did not deal with all disputes within the required timescale. 
			 VWF Stalled Claims This SLA measures Capita's handling of the Stalled Claims process: Stage 1 - trigger for stalled claims process Stage 2 - no substantive response received Stage 3 - No correspondence received since Stage 1 and 2 65 67 Audited on a six monthly basis Capita's systems could not automatically report the 3 different stages of the stalled claims process with the additional complexities brought about by the exceptions applying to cohorts such as Grant of Probate and DWP Schedule, etc. As such, this SLA is potentially under-reported. 
			 Keystage Data Accuracy This SLA measures the accuracy of the indicators on Capita's IT system which shows where the claim is in the claims process (i.e. the key stage). It does not measure any other aspect of data accuracy. 90 71 Audited on a quarterly basis Capita achieved over 90% for performance, but due to the sliding scale, obtained 71% of the incentive payments. The main reason why Capita achieved 90% rather than 100% performance is because the PwC auditors took their sample from all the claims including the very oldest claims which had not always been updated with new key stage indicators on the system. 
			 Scan Post Received This SLA measures the timescale that post received by Capita is electronically scanned onto their document management system. 100 100 Audited on a six monthly basis No drop in performance. All post was scanned within the 3 days SLA timescale. 
			 Complaints This SLA measures the volume of complaints received by Capita (or expression of dissatisfaction in some way, or chasing for a response from Capita) as a percentage of the total volume of correspondence received by Capita in the same period. 1.2 of correspondence 55 Audited on a six monthly basis An average of 1.2% of correspondence Capita received were classified as complaints. Many of the complaints were chasing letters (e.g. what is happening with the claim or when will we get a response) generated automatically on a regular basis by solicitors IT systems. Such correspondence did not take into account issues in the Court process that delayed the progression of claims. On the sliding scale, Capita achieved 55% of the incentive payments. For Capita to have been able to achieve 100% for this SLA, there would have to be less than 0.5% of the correspondence received as complaints. 
			 Management Information Reports This SLA measures the timescale to produce high priority and medium priority reports for the Department. 100 100 Not audited by PwC as this was monitored by the Department when reports were requested. No drop in performance. The contract defined different timescales for different priority reports.

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, column 669W, on industrial diseases: compensation, whether the terms of the contract between his Department and Capita Group plc allow his Department to levy fines on Capita Group plc.

David Kidney: The contract is designed to incentivise Capita to perform to a high standard, especially in terms of the quality and accuracy of claim offers and the timely settlement of claims. While the contract does not specifically mention the levying of fines, the comprehensive Service Level Agreement performance regime contained within the contract allows Capita to achieve a range of incentive and bonus payments. If Capita do not meet the targets, they do not earn the full amount available.
	In addition to the incentive and bonus payments structure, Capita are required to reimburse the Department for not meeting the required timescale for payments to claimants which attract judgement debt rate of interest (JDRI).

Capita

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 12 November 2009,  Official Report, column 671W, on industrial diseases: compensation, what data were taken into account in his Department's value for money assessment of the contract with Capita Group plc.

David Kidney: In the context of the most recent retender of the Department's claims handling contract in 2005-2006, the value for money (VFM) assessment was made on both financial and non-financial measures. Data was taken from Capita's bid, references with other Government Departments and the Department's knowledge of the incumbent service provider and the associated contractual arrangements.
	The financial assessment represented 40 per cent. within the scoring system. The non-financial assessment represented the remaining 60 per cent. as set out in my reply to my right hon. Friend on 12 November 2009,  Official Report, columns 671W and 672W.

Carbon Emissions: Conferences

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, column 457W, on departmental conferences, how many  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) officials from his Department attended the EU-China Near Zero Emissions Coal Initiative phase I Final Conference.

David Kidney: Three DECC officials attended the China-EU NZEC Phase I Conference in Beijing on 28-29 October 2009. No Ministers or special advisers attended. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change delivered a pre-recorded video message congratulating all those involved in NZEC and setting out his views more broadly on CCS internationally at:
	http://www.actoncopenhagen.decc.gov.uk/en/global-action1/asia/china/nzec-meets-in-beijing

Carbon Emissions: Housing

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department plans to spend on the Social Housing Energy Saving Programme in  (a) 2009-10,  (b) 2010-11,  (c) 2011-12,  (d) 2012-13 and  (e) 2013-14; and what estimate he has made of the (i) proportion of such expenditure to be incurred in England, (ii) the carbon savings to be achieved, (iii) the number of properties affected and (iv) the number of jobs created from such expenditure in each year.

David Kidney: holding answer 23 November 2009
	 The information is as follows:
	 (a) 2009-10-£54.5 million of funding has already been allocated
	(i) 100 per cent. of the funding is allocated to social housing providers in England,
	(ii) 52,000 tonnes estimated carbon saving
	(iii) 65,000 homes
	(iv) 1,300 Jobs
	 (b) 2010-11-£29.3 million of funding has already been allocated
	(i) 100 per cent. is allocated social housing providers in England
	(ii) 34,400 tonnes estimated carbon saving
	(iii) 43,000 homes
	(iv) 900 Jobs
	( c,  d and  e) Currently no funding has been allocated to the programme post 2011.

Climate Change: Publicity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department had spent on the Act on CO2 Campaign on the latest date for which figures are available.

David Kidney: The invoiced cost of the ACT ON C02 campaign from September 2008 to 10 December 2009 is £15 million. This includes all fees, and covers production, media, digital activity, research, events and other campaign-related spend.

Climate Change: Publicity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on television advertising for the Act on CO2 Campaign to date.

Joan Ruddock: From April 2009 to December 2009, the Department for Energy and Climate Change is expected to spend approximately £2.2 million (exclusive of VAT) on TV advertising media space.

Climate Change: Publicity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much the Act on CO2 Campaign has spent on promotion on  (a) Facebook and  (b) other social networking websites since its establishment.

David Kidney: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Expenditure for promotion (advertising) on Facebook to date is £10,750 as part of the first phase of the ACT ON CO2 campaign.
	 (b) No expenditure for promotion on other exclusively social networking sites has occurred to date.

Climate Change: Publicity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much the Act on CO2 advice line for advice on saving money has cost since its inception.

Joan Ruddock: The Act on C02 Advice Line is part of a comprehensive service provided by Energy Saving Trust's network of advice centres. This service not only covers the provision of telephone advice on energy and water saving, waste minimisation and domestic microgeneration but also incorporates proactive outreach, support for local authorities and communities, and capacity building with local energy efficiency related trades. The network was rolled out during 2008-09 and has been fully operational during 2009-10. The disaggregated cost of the advice line to date is approximately £5.9 million.

Coal Authority: Information and Communications Technology

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 459-60W, on departmental ICT, what the terms of reference of the Coal Authority's Inferis IT project are.

David Kidney: In my answer of 7 December 2009,  Official Report, column 131W, I advised that a copy of the invitation to tender in respect of the Coal Authority's Inferis IT project was being placed in the Libraries of the House. I refer the hon. Member for Wealden to that document, in particular sections 5 (Background), 6 (Objectives and Aspirations) and 7 (Scope of Requirements).

Departmental Advertising

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire of 12 October 2009,  Official Report, columns 453-55W, on departmental advertising, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the advertisements his Department placed in  (a) What's on TV magazine and  (b) Take a Break magazine.

David Kidney: We do not keep hard copies of publications. I have sent examples of the Act on CO2 advertisements in  What's on TV and  Take a Break to the hon. Member.

Departmental Billing

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of invoices submitted to his Department have been paid within 10 days in each month since October 2008; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: The following table lists the number of invoices submitted and the proportion paid within 10 days.
	
		
			  Month  Number of invoices submitted  Proportion paid within 10 days (percentage) 
			  2008   
			 November 528 73 
			 December 647 88 
			
			  2009   
			 January 672 98 
			 February 575 99 
			 March 730 97 
			 April 617 98 
			 May 746 97 
			 June 652 98 
			 July 877 97 
			 August 527 94 
			 September 710 85 
			 October 750 93 
			 November 802 92

Departmental Internet

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what redesigns of websites operated by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets have been carried out since 27 June 2007; and what the  (a) cost to the public purse and  (b) date of completion of each such redesign was.

David Kidney: Ofgem's corporate website has not been redesigned since June 27, 2007. However, a range of new features have been added to increase accessibility and usability, to meet a number of new standards for websites operated by Government Departments applicable from 1 April 2009 and to reflect the recent restructuring of Ofgem. There has been no cost to the public purse as Ofgem recovers costs from license fee payers.

Departmental Travel

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on travel for Ministers undertaken by  (a) car,  (b) train,  (c) air and  (d) other means since its establishment.

David Kidney: This information could only be provided at disproportional cost.

Departmental Working Hours

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many and what proportion of staff of his Department and its non-departmental public bodies work flexibly or part-time; and what his Department's policy is on making jobs available on a job-share or flexible basis.

Joan Ruddock: DECC operates a flexible working policy so that all staff are able to request to work flexibly including part-time and job-share if they wish, subject to business need and with the prior approval of their manager. The guidance for staff is available on the HR intranet.
	Records are not held centrally of all the flexible working patterns of staff. DECC currently has 6 per cent. (59) staff working on a part-time basis.
	DECC has four non-departmental public bodies, all staff are able to request to work flexibly but again records are not held centrally of all the flexible working patterns Coal Authority-9 per cent. (16) work part-time; Nuclear Decommissioning Authority-5.3 per cent (19) work part-time; Civil Nuclear Constabulary-16 per cent. (41) work part time, all staff work flexibly. Committee on Climate Change all staff (30) work full-time; three staff work flexibly.

Energy: Disconnections

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  how many  (a) pre-payment meter and  (b) billed energy customers have been disconnected by their supplier in each quarter in the last three years;
	(2)  how many energy customers were disconnected in error by their provider in each quarter of the last three years;
	(3)  how long on average energy customers disconnected by their provider were without a connection in each quarter of the last three years;

David Kidney: Ofgem collect figures on the number of gas and electricity customers disconnected due to debt, and the average time until reconnection. Ofgem also publish the proportion of disconnections within each quarter that were reconnected within the same quarter, for each of the main six domestic energy providers. This information is available at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Sustainability/SocAction/Monitoring/SoObMonitor/Pages/SocObMonitor.aspx
	Figures for the number of disconnections made in error and figures by payment method are not available.
	I will be depositing tables showing the number of household disconnections due to debt, and the proportion of disconnections reconnected within the same quarter by the main six energy suppliers in the Libraries in the House.

Energy: Meters

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much on average a household in  (a) Jarrow constituency,  (b) South Tyneside,  (c) the North East and  (d) the UK with a pre-payment meter paid for (i) electricity and (ii) gas in each of the last three years.

David Kidney: The Department's latest estimates for the average annual domestic energy bills and provisional estimates for the year to 2009 and are published in Quarterly Energy Prices, published in September 2009. Figures are not available at constituency or local authority level.
	For an average consumer using 18,000 kWh of gas per year and paying their bills by pre-payment meter, the average bill in the North East for gas was £593 in 2007, £623 in 2008 and £744 in 2009. The average bill in Great Britain for gas customers on pre-payments was £589 in 2007, £618 in 2008 and £744 in 2009. Figures are not available for the UK.
	For an average consumer using 3,300 kWh of standard electricity per year and paying their bills by pre-payment meter, the average bill in the North East for standard electricity was £401 in 2007, £424 in 2008 and £465 in 2009. The average bill in the UK for standard electricity customers on pre-payment meters was £401 in 2007, £424 in 2008 and £465 in 2009.

Energy: National Policy Statements

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to section 3.3.12 of the Energy National Policy Statement, what proportion of the 20.5 gigawatt capacity  (a) has recently been constructed, (b) is under construction and  (c) has both planning consent and agreement to connect to the National Grid; and what proportion is renewable under the definition given in that section.

David Kidney: Our most recent figure for forthcoming capacity is 21.6GW. This is based on the most recent data from the National Grid which have been updated since the drafting of the National Policy Statements. Of this 21.6GW, 8 per cent., has recently been constructed, 42 per cent. is under construction and 50 per cent. has planning consent and agreement to connect to the National Grid. The following table provides further details on the proportions of this 21.6GW which is renewables and have grid connection agreements. These figures are regularly revised following periodic updates and revisions issued by the National Grid.
	
		
			   Total forthcoming capacity (GW)  Of which renewables (GW)  Percentage renewables 
			 Constructed 1.8 0 - 
			 Under construction 9 4 44 
			 With planning consent and grid connection 10.8 3.3 31 
			 Total 21.6 7.3 34 
			  Source: National Grid

Fuel Poverty: Pensioners

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners living in fuel poverty in  (a) December 1997 and  (b) each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: Fuel poverty is not measured at individual person level. Detailed splits of fuel poverty on a consistent methodology basis are only available since 2003. The following table shows the number of fuel poor households in England, containing somebody over the age of 60, in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
	
		
			  Number of fuel poor households containing somebody over the age of 60 
			   Thousand 
			 2005 794 
			 2006 1,285 
			 2007 1,462

Gas Fired Power Stations: Carbon Emissions

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the likely carbon dioxide emissions per unit electric output from a modern  (a) combined cycle gas turbine,  (b) open cycle gas turbine and  (c) integrated gasification combined cycle power station.

David Kidney: The rate at which power stations emit carbon dioxide are determined by individual plant efficiencies which vary considerably in actual operation. DECC uses a range of reference values which are kept under review. These are based on the estimated likely efficiency achieved in the actual generation market, including efficiency degradation following commissioning. Such estimates will differ from those available in the technical literature which do not always reflect actual performance.
	The figures shown in the following table for technologies are representative values based on electricity supplied to the grid after allowing for own use and transmission and distribution losses. The values represent emissions of carbon dioxide in kilograms per kilowatt hour unit of electricity.
	
		
			  Technology  kg CO 2 /kWh 
			 Combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) 0.43 
			 Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) 0.60 
			 Integrated gasification combined cycle power station (IGCC) 0.73

Geothermal Power

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has had discussions with the governments of Iceland and Germany on the laying of a cable between those countries for the transfer of geothermal power.

David Kidney: There have been no such discussions, although my officials have had general discussions with representatives of the Icelandic power industry on the potential for geothermal energy in Iceland and the practicality of interconnection with the UK.

Hotels

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation for  (a) Ministers,  (b) special advisers and  (c) civil servants in each year since its establishment.

Joan Ruddock: The information requested can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department and its predecessors have paid in vehicle clamping charges incurred on  (a) privately-owned and  (b) publicly-owned land in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ruddock: We have no record of any such costs being paid by the Department.
	Departmental policy is that the driver of the vehicle is responsible for following all advice, guidance and legislation in relation to road safety and is therefore also responsible for meeting the cost of any fines incurred (including parking fines), as a result of any driving offence. The Department will not meet those costs.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what hospitality Ministers in his Department and its predecessors with responsibility for the two miners' compensation schemes have received from Capita Group plc since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: Capita became the claims handling contractor to the Coal Health Compensation schemes in 2004. No hospitality has been received by Ministers responsible for the Coal Health Compensation schemes from Capita.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter of 22 October 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton on Mr A Gibson.

Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton on 11 December 2009. Such a delay is obviously unacceptable. My officials have investigated the reasons for the error.

Ofgem: Training

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) buildings attended by civil servants in Ofgem there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

David Kidney: Ofgem do not normally collate this information and to do so would incur disproportionate cost.
	However, during 2008-09, Ofgem held eleven team building events at a total cost of £14,930.31.

Tidal Power

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has funded on wave generated power in the last three years.

David Kidney: Since 2005 the remit of the pan-government Research Advisory Group (RAG) has included wave and tidal technologies, with a budget of up to £2 million to concentrate on these emerging technologies. For details of the resultant work of RAG including guidance documents and reports, on a range of issues such as aerial bird surveys, navigation risk assessment and seascape assessment, see the following web link
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/policy/offshore/rag/rag.aspx
	Since 2007 the former DTI Technology programme, now transferred to the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), has supported five wave R and D projects. Further details on these projects can be found on the TSB website
	http://www.innovateuk.org/_assets/pdf/other-publications/aea_tsb_annual_report_final_7%20september_09.pdf
	The Carbon Trust has funded research into wave generated power through the Marine Energy Accelerator. Details on the Marine Energy Accelerator programme can be found at
	http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/emerging-technologies/current-focus-areas/marine-energy-accelerator/pages/default.aspx
	In 2009 the Carbon Trust launched the Marine Renewables Proving Fund. This fund will provide up to £22 million of grant funding for the testing and demonstration of pre-commercial wave and tidal stream devices.
	High quality basic science research that is relevant to, though not always specific to, wave generation is funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's 'Supergen Marine' consortium
	http://www.supergen-marine.org.uk/news.php
	The Department has undertaken the following research on wave generated power in the last three years:
	The development of protocols for
	Assessment of the performance of wave energy conversion systems in open sea test facilities
	Preliminary Wave energy device performance protocol.
	Both protocols can be downloaded from the DECC website
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_supply/energy_mix/renewable/explained/wave_tidal/wave_tech/wave_tech.aspx

Tidal Power: River Severn

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps have been taken to ensure that the results of the Strategic Environmental Assessment of short-listed options for the generation of tidal power in the Severn Estuary have been made available to the developers of proposals under the Severn Embryonic Technologies scheme.

David Kidney: The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is still underway and results will not be available until it completes next year. The SEA work is at this stage specific to five shortlisted schemes and its findings do not necessarily apply to the fundamentally different embryonic technologies being considered by the Severn Embryonic Technologies scheme.
	Severn Embryonic Technologies scheme proposers have been briefed on the findings from the scoping stage of the SEA and are using this information and the range of published feasibility study reports as they progress in further defining their emerging designs. Proposers have also benefited from advice from the Parsons Brinckerhoff consortium, who are conducting the SEA.

Tidal Power: River Severn

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what mechanisms are in place to ensure that delays in completion of the Strategic Environmental Assessment of short-listed options for the generation of tidal power in the Severn Estuary will not adversely affect the development of proposals under the Severn Embryonic Technologies Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

David Kidney: We are not anticipating delays to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) that would impact on the proposals under the Severn Embryonic Technologies Scheme (SETS). The final reports from the proposals supported under the scheme are expected to be received from the project proposers before completion of the SEA.
	The SEA work is at this stage specific to five shortlisted schemes and its findings do not necessarily apply to the fundamentally different embryonic technologies being considered by the Severn Embryonic Technologies Scheme.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the ad hoc working group on Long-Term Co-operative Action of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

David Kidney: The ad hoc working group on Long-Term Co-operative Action of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has provided an effective process for ensuring the input of the 194 parties to the convention.

Utilities

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if his Department will take steps to require energy utility companies to put in place resilience measures sufficient to prevent cyber-attacks rendering their services temporarily ineffective.

David Kidney: The Department of Energy and Climate Change works closely with the Home Office and the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), incorporating input from the UK Office of Cyber Security, to identify proportionate security measures to mitigate cyber and other threats, and to maximise the resilience of the Energy sector.
	The Department has strong relationships with the energy sector. It has not been necessary for the Government to take steps to require such mitigations to be put in place. Rather we have adopted a partnership approach to enhance security and resilience which recognises that it is in all of our interests, both from a national security perspective and from a commercial perspective, to work together to continually improve the resilience of the UK's energy sector.

Warm Front Scheme: Derbyshire

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households applied to receive grants under the Warm Front Scheme in  (a) Chesterfield and  (b) Derbyshire in each year since the inception of the scheme.

David Kidney: The requested data for the present phase of the scheme (2005-to present) are shown in the following table. Prior to 2005, the scheme was managed by a different delivery body in Derbyshire and the data retained by the current scheme manager are not sufficient to provide a consolidated response.
	
		
			   Number 
			  Chesterfield constituency  
			 2005-06 320 
			 2006-07 776 
			 2007-08 1,049 
			 2008-09 724 
			 2009-10 up to 30 November 2009 689 
			 Total 3,558 
			   
			  Derbyshire county  
			 2005-06 4,281 
			 2006-07 8,394 
			 2007-08 9,462 
			 2008-09 7,849 
			 2009-10 up to 30 November 2009 5,925 
			 Total 35,911

Waste Management

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at what location on his Department's website can the United Kingdom's third national report on compliance with the obligations of the joint convention on the safety of spent fuel management and on the safety of radioactive waste management be found; how the information contained in this report has been conveyed to the public; and when the national reports from member states to the convention were last reviewed under IAEA auspices.

David Kidney: The United Kingdom's third national report on compliance with the IAEA Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management can be freely accessed by the public on DECC's website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/uk_ supply/energy mix/nuclear/radioactivity/government/international /iaea_jointconv/iaea_Jointconv.aspx
	The last review of national reports from contracting parties to the joint convention
	was undertaken at the joint convention review meeting in Vienna in May 2009.

Wind Power

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many offshore wind turbines became operational in UK waters in each of the last five years.

David Kidney: The following table sets out the number of offshore wind turbines that became operational in UK waters in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   Number of turbines  Installed capacity (MW) 
			 2004 30 60 
			 2005 30 90 
			 2006 30 90 
			 2007 25 (1)90 
			 2008 60 194.2 
			 (1) Does not include the Beatrice demonstrator project which is outside UK territorial waters.  Source: AEA Technology.

Wind Power: Offshore Structures

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many gigawatts of  (a) renewable and  (b) non-renewable energy in applications receiving consideration under (i) section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and (ii) the Transport and Works Act 2002 relate to offshore wind farms in English waters.

David Kidney: The Department is dealing with five consent applications under section 36 of the Electricity Act for proposed wind farms in English waters. The total generating capacity of these applications is nearly 2.25GW. There are currently no TWA applications under consideration for wind farms in English waters. There are no applications under either regime for non-renewable energy projects in English waters.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Manpower

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff of his Department were in its redeployment pool on 1  (a) January,  (b) April,  (c) July and  (d) October 2009.

Michael Foster: It was unnecessary for the Department for International Development (DFID) to maintain a Redeployment Pool prior to 1 October 2009.

Departmental Pay

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much has been paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department in each year since 2007.

Michael Foster: The Department for International Development (DFID) Senior Civil Service (SCS) members are eligible to be considered for a year end non-consolidated performance award. Awards are intended to reward delivery of personal business objectives during the reporting year or other short-term personal contributions to wider organisational objectives. In considering SCS members for an award, line managers are asked to take into account:
	performance against agreed priority business objectives or targets total delivery record over the year
	relative stretch (i.e. the challenge of the job compared to that of others)
	response to unforeseen events that affected the performance agreement.
	Awards are funded within existing pay bill controls, have to be re-earned each year against the pre-determined criteria above and, as such, do not add to future pay bill costs.
	The annual size of the non-consolidated performance pay pot for SCS members is based on recommendations by the independent Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB).
	The following table show the amount allocated in each of the last three years for year end non-consolidated performance related awards.
	
		
			   Year end non-consolidated performance related awards (£) 
			 2007-08 504,000 
			 2008-09 641,510 
			 2009-10 634,150 
			 Note: Payments made are for the financial year indicated but relate to performance achieved in the previous reporting year. 
		
	
	Staff in grades below the SCS are eligible to be considered for a year end non-consolidated performance award. Awards are intended to reward both the delivery of personal business objectives during the reporting year and demonstration of DFID's values.
	The following table show the amount allocated in each of the last three years for year end non-consolidated performance related awards.
	
		
			   Year end non-consolidated performance related awards (£) 
			 2007-08 558,233 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2009-10 742,515 
			  Notes: 1 Payments made are for the financial year indicated but relate to performance achieved in the previous reporting year 2 DFID's reward arrangements did not allow for the payment of any performance related awards in the 2008-09 financial year to staff below the Senior Civil Service. 
		
	
	DFID does not operate an in-year performance related award scheme for any staff.

Departmental Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on away days in the last 12 months; and what the  (a) subject and  (b) location of each away day was.

Douglas Alexander: This information can not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department has provided to Gaza in each of the last five years.

Michael Foster: Many of the projects funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) cover both the west bank and Gaza and so it is not possible to give figures for Gaza alone. Detailed figures of DFID expenditure are included in the Annual Report and Statistics on International Development which are available in the Library and on the DFID website. In recent years direct DFID funding to the Occupied Palestinian Territories has increased from £17.6 million in 2004-05 to £60 million in 2008-09 (including our support to the UN Relief and Works Agency).
	Since the start of the Gaza conflict the UK Government have pledged nearly £47 million to help the people of Gaza, of which £20 million has been provided so far this year for humanitarian aid and early recovery. In 2007-08 DFID also provided £3 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to meet immediate humanitarian needs in Gaza.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions he has raised Gaza access issues with his Israeli counterpart in the last 12 months; and on what such occasions the Israeli government has acceded to requests for access.

Michael Foster: Achieving improved access to Gaza is a priority for the UK Government and the wider international community. We raise the issue of access with the Government of Israel at all available opportunities. On 1 December the Secretary of State spoke with Ehud Barak, the Israeli Minister of Defense on improving access. Last month I met with Israeli Vice Prime Minister Shalom, and with Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon. Earlier in the year both my right hon Friend and I met with the former Minister of Welfare and Social Services, Isaac Herzog, and the Secretary of State also wrote to Ehud Barak.
	The collective lobbying of the international community has had some impact. Access for food products has improved since the end of the conflict in January, and in October small quantities of cement, plastic pipes and desalination equipment were allowed in for water and sanitation projects for the first time. Despite this, we remain very concerned about the situation in Gaza and will continue to press the Israeli Government for improved access for humanitarian aid and reconstruction materials.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reports he has received of the aid supplies destined for Gaza in respect of which access to Gaza has been  (a) blocked and  (b) delayed since the start of the blockade; and what items were involved in each case.

Michael Foster: There is no single report confirming which aid supplies have been blocked and delayed since the start of the blockade. What is allowed in remains unclear and subject to unpredictable change by the Government of Israel.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid supplies for Gaza funded by  (a) the UK and  (b) the EU have been denied passage to Gaza in 2009; what estimate he has made of the cost to Gaza of such denials; and what assessment he has made of the effect of such denials on the intended recipients of such supplies.

Michael Foster: United Kingdom and European Union aid projects in Gaza have been subject to the same access restrictions as other humanitarian projects operating there. Items that have been rejected or delayed since January include foodstuffs, construction materials, agricultural materials and hygiene kits. Although there has been no specific assessment of the cost to Gaza of access restrictions, they continue to impact on the humanitarian response.

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what channels of delivery he has considered for the provision to Gaza of aid supplies being held in Israel.

Michael Foster: Without full, safe and unhindered access for aid, aid workers and reconstruction materials a comprehensive response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains impossible.
	The UK Government and others in the international community have considered alternative delivery channels for humanitarian supplies, including delivery by sea. However, we have concluded that such alternatives are neither practical nor sustainable.
	The UK considers the immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions on Gaza's land and maritime borders as the only viable solution and will continue to lobby the Government of Israel on this issue.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Postal Services Commission: Training

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside the Postal Services Commission's buildings attended by civil servants in the Postal Services Commission there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for which Postcomm has direct responsibility. I have therefore asked Postcomm's chief executive, Tim Brown, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	A copy of the response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Adult Education: Finance

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the Pre-Budget Report, Cm 7747, from which areas of the adult skills budget he expects to make the £300 million savings identified.

Kevin Brennan: The Government have a strong record of investment in FE and skills. We will focus public spending on those individuals and employers in greatest need and on those sectors that are most vital to Britain's future.

Apprentices

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprentices have lost a placement in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to him on 5 November 2009,  Official Report, column 1232W, when I explained that data about the number of apprentices made redundant are not currently available. We have put in place for this academic year, from 1 August, arrangements to record the number of apprentices who are made redundant. We expect these data to be available from early in 2010.

Apprentices

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment he has made of the availability of work placements for Level 3 apprenticeships.

Kevin Brennan: Our Skills for Growth-the National Skills Strategy (November 2009) signalled our intention to significantly expand the number of advanced apprenticeships. Not only is this critical to the needs of the economy, it also reflects employer demand. Numbers are now steadily increasing: There were 78,700 starts (provisional) at advanced level in 2008/09 (34 per cent. of all apprenticeship starts), up from 73,000 (32 per cent.) in 2007/08.
	The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) will have an important role in helping us drive forward our ambitions for more skilled technician apprenticeship opportunities and stimulate employer demand. NAS is already working with employers and training providers, supported by marketing and communications activity, to ensure awareness of the values and benefits of training at technician level.

Broadband

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to commission a study into the effect on demand for broadband of the proposed 50 pence per month levy on fixed telephone lines.

Stephen Timms: The Department has no such plans. We will carefully monitor the impact of the Landline Duty, but we do not expect it to impact negatively on demand for broadband when set against falling telecoms prices over the last three years.

Business: EU Grants and Loans

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much money has been allocated to British-based companies from the 50,521 million euro programme administered by the Research Executive Agency of the European Commission under the Seventh Framework programme; and which such companies have received such funding.

David Lammy: The UK has remained a strong player in the EU Seventh Framework programme, receiving €1,348 million, equivalent to 13.7 per cent. of all FP7 funding to date. Of this, UK private commercial organisations have received €269 million. This funding has been distributed to 607 UK organisations; details of these are given in the attached annex.
	The parts of FP7 that the Research Executive Agency (REA) of the European Commission will manage are:
	the Marie-Curie Actions of the People programme;
	the SME specific activities of the Capacities programme;
	a large part of the space and the security themes from the Cooperation programmes;
	However, it is too soon to identify with any confidence the UK private commercial organisations in the annex that will have received monies as a result of activities under REA management.

Business: Government Assistance

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the policies of his Department and its predecessors in  (a) providing support to business and  (b) improving levels of skills in (i) England, (ii) the North East, (iii) Tees Valley and (iv) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency since 1997.

Kevin Brennan: BIS evaluates the effectiveness of business support in England through a variety of research and analysis. This includes:
	Economic Impact of Business Link Local Services (BERR 2007) which assessed the effectiveness and value for money of Business Link. This includes a regional chapter (chapter 7).
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file40289.doc
	Business Links Value for Money Evaluation (DTI 1998)
	http://berr.gov.uk/files/file39415.doc
	Recently completed research undertaken on behalf of BIS includes an Early Assessment of Business Link Health Checks by the Institute for Employment Studies and a mystery shopping based study of the early stages of the Business Link service conducted by Middlesex University. The reports from these studies were both published on the BIS website on 27 November.
	 Skills
	Raising UK skill levels to world class status is a priority for Government and the progress achieved is an important indicator of the success of our policies. The following table shows how skill attainment of the working age population has increased since 1997 in England and in the north-east. Comparable and accurate figures for the sub-regions requested are not available.
	Government provide support to employers to increase the skills of their employees through Train to Gain and Apprenticeships. Both programmes continue to go from strength to strength. Since 2006 Train to Gain has supported people to start over 1.4 million qualifications, and over 780,000 qualifications have already been achieved. This has arisen from engagement with 143,000 employers through the brokerage service alone and many more engaging directly with providers. We have rescued and expanded apprenticeships, trebling the number of starts from 65,000 in 1996/97 to 234,000 in 2008/09. Tables showing growth of this programme in the areas requested follow. Figures for sub-regions are not available for qualifications attainments and figures for Tees Valley are not available for programme data.
	
		
			  Percentage of England qualified to each level in Q4 of each year 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 No qualifications 17.1 16.5 15.6 15.0 15.1 14.1 13.7 13.4 12.6 12.2 11.4 10.9 
			 Proportion at level 2+ 61.0 62.5 64.0 65.0 65.0 66.4 67.2 67.6 68.9 69.9 70.7 71.2 
			 Proportion at level 3+ 40.5 42.2 43.5 44.6 44.7 46.0 47.0 47.5 48.4 49.4 50.6 50.8 
			 Proportion at level 4+ 22.3 23.7 24.5 25.2 25.2 26.2 27.2 27.9 28.5 30.0 30.9 31.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of  north- east qualified to each level in Q4 of each year 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 
			 No qualifications 17.0 16.3 15.3 14.9 14.8 14.1 13.6 12.9 12.3 12.2 11.5 10.8 
			 Proportion at level 2+ 61.5 63.0 64.3 65.1 65.5 66.5 67.6 68.1 69.4 69.7 70.6 71.4 
			 Proportion at level 3+ 41.0 42.5 43.9 44.8 45.1 46.1 47.4 47.8 48.7 49.5 50.4 51.0 
			 Proportion at level 4+ 22.6 23.9 24.6 25.2 25.5 26.3 27.5 27.9 28.7 30.0 30.4 31.1 
		
	
	
		
			  Apprenticeship completions and Train to Gain achievements 
			  Apprenticeships completions  2003/04  2004/05  2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09 
			 England 49,300 67,200 98,700 111,800 112,600 126,900 
			 North East 3,700 5,200 7,200 8,000 7,600 9,000 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 190 250 310 340 280 350 
		
	
	 Regional development agencies (RDAs)
	The RDAs contribute to both the business support and skills agendas. Their performance from 2002-03 to 2006-07 was evaluated by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) on behalf of BERR in March 2009. Using gross figures for the period 2002/03 to 2006/07, provided by the RDAs to Parliament, this indicates that the RDA have helped to create 56,000 businesses and have provided 1.25 million learning opportunities. Applying the average additionality ratios found by PwC to these figures gives net figures of 27,000 businesses and 0.7 million learning opportunities.
	For the north-east, the 65 per cent. of spending which the evaluation covered assisted 9,500 businesses (1,700 net), helped to create 1,900 businesses (1,100 net) and provided skills assistance to 158,600 people (98,300 net). Figures at sub-regional level are not available.

Business: Government Assistance

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many businesses in the City of York Council have received Government guarantees on bank loans under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee; which businesses received such guarantees; and what the monetary value of the loan or loans guaranteed was in each case.

Ian Lucas: Set out in the table is the information for the Enterprise Finance Guarantee for the City of York council since it was launched on 14 January:
	
		
			   City of York 
			 Number of loans offered 9 
			 Number of loans drawn 7 
			   
			 Value of loans offered (£ million) 0.92 
			 Value of loans drawn (£ million) 0.56 
		
	
	Information about individual businesses that have received an Enterprise Finance Guarantee loan is confidential and they cannot be named without their consent.

Capital Investment

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much of the £600 million efficiency savings referred to on page 110 of the 2009 pre-Budget report, Cm 7747, will be found by  (a) the Higher Education Funding Council for England and  (b) each Research Council; and whether efficiency savings from the Research Councils will be re-allocated to the Research Councils.

David Lammy: The £600 million announcement was made in the pre-Budget report. This was not a spending review. The Government would not expect to decide the distribution of the figure at this stage. The Government will wish to make an informed decision on future funding against the background of Lord Browne's independent review of higher education funding and student finance which will report next year. It will be looking at the wider funding and sustainability of the whole HE system. We will reflect on the review's findings before setting budgets beyond 2010-11.

Christmas

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many Christmas trees were purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of.

Patrick McFadden: The following information lists the number of trees for which this Department and its predecessors have purchased for reception areas in buildings on its Estate. The costs include installation, decoration and removal by our foliage contractors. Information as follows:
	
		
			   Number of trees purchased  Cost (£) 
			 2005 (1)2 661 
			 2006 (1)2 661 
			 2007 (1)3 1,099 
			 2008 (1)3 1,144 
			 2009 (1)3 1,144 
			 (1) One artificial 
		
	
	All trees, other than artificial trees, are sourced from UK growers who are members of the British Association of Christmas Tree Growers. All BCTG members are required to adhere to strict standards of sustainability. All real trees are recycled and turned into mulch. Artificial trees are broken down and then rebuilt the following year.
	I have approached the Chief Executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond directly to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 9 December 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 07/12/2009 reference 2009/449 ] to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking how many Christmas trees were purchased in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of.
	In each year one Christmas tree was purchased and the costs were:-
	
		
			  £ 
			 2005 30.99 
			 2006 39.99 
			 2007 49.99 
			 2008 57.53 
			 2009 59.95 
		
	
	The trees were purchased from local garden centres that used suppliers who managed their plantations sustainably. The trees were disposed of using the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames Christmas tree disposal system so that they are disposed of sustainably.
	The National Measurement Office has reviewed the sustainability of real against artificial trees and the carbon footprint of real trees is currently considered to be less than artificial trees.
	 Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 9 December 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 18 November 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office has not purchased any Christmas trees in the last five years.
	The Office has hired an artificial Christmas tree (£385 per annum 2005-2008, £500 2009) each year but this remains the responsibility of the owner.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 15 December 2009:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 7 December 2009, UIN 305640, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House has not purchased any real Christmas trees in the last five years.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 15 December 2009:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, how many Christmas trees were purchased by his Department and its agencies in each of the last five years; what the cost was of those trees in each year; from where the trees were sourced; what account was taken of the sustainability of the sources of the trees; and by what process the trees were disposed of.
	The Insolvency Service has not purchased any Christmas trees in each of the last five years.

Competition Commission

Andrew George: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions since  (a) the creation of the Competition Commission and  (b) the enactment of the Enterprise Act 2002 his Department and its predecessors have declined to (i) support or (ii) accept the Commission's recommendations or referrals for Government action arising from the Commission's work.

Kevin Brennan: There has been one occasion where the Department and its predecessors have declined to support or accept the Competition Commission's recommendations or referrals to Government arising from their work since their creation, and, the enactment of the Enterprise Act 2002.
	In the Commission's report on Supermarkets published in October 2000, it recommended that there should be a new approval system for supermarket developments. However, it did not make an adverse finding on this issue. The recommendation was not rejected but in responding, the Secretary of State asked the Office of Fair Trading to monitor the situation.

Departmental Buildings

John Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on works and refurbishment to offices allocated to Ministers in his Department's buildings in the last 12 months.

Patrick McFadden: BIS has spent just under £154,000 on works on office space for Ministers and their private offices in the last 12 months. Most of this activity resulted from closing down ministerial and support offices in DIUS's Kingsgate House office and moving them to 1 Victoria Street upon creation of BIS, with the consequent need to reorganise accommodation in 1 Victoria Street. The merger will save money in the longer term.

Departmental Domestic Visits

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on how many occasions each Minister in his Department has visited a  (a) higher and  (b) further education institution in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: On  (a) my noble Friend the Secretary of State has made seven visits, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has made one visit, my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Investment has made ten visits, some visited more than once, to institutions in the UK and also to two abroad, my noble Friend the Minister of State for Science and Innovation has made 14, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Postal Affairs and Employment Relations has made 10, my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Regulatory Reform has made two and I have made 11 visits.
	On  (b) my noble Friend the Secretary of State has made two visits, My noble Friend the Minister of State for Science and Innovation has made one, my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Postal Affairs and Employment Relations has made nine, my hon. Friend the then the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for (Mr. Simon) made 10 visits and my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs has made eight.

Departmental Energy

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the  (a) energy rating and  (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.

Patrick McFadden: The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) publishes central Government Departments' display energy certificate (DEC) operational ratings on a building by building level twice a year. The most recent data, published on 31 July, contains DEC data up to and including 28 February. Data relating to the month ending 30 September will be published on 18 December. This information can be found at:
	http://www.ocg.gov.uk/government_delivery_display_energy_certificate_data.asp
	The table OGC publishes will also include DEC reference numbers for each building, which can be used to view each building's advisory report on the following website:
	https://www.ndepcregister.com/home.html.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to you directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 15 December 2009:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 7 December 2009, UIN 305970, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House's head office in Cardiff is required to produce a Display Energy Certificate. Results are available from 2008, as follows:-
	
		
			   Band  Energy rating 
			 2008 E 109 
			 2009 E 109 
		
	
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 15 December 2009:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question, what the (a) energy rating and (b) energy band of each building occupied by his Department and its agencies was in each year for which figures are available.
	The attached table lists the buildings occupied by The Insolvency Service and shows the (a) energy rating and (b) energy band for them in 2009, where these are known. Where data is not given, we have requested it from the landlords for our premises and are waiting to hear from them. Before 2009 we either had no data, or it was the same as given in the table.
	
		
			  Location  Address  Energy band  Energy rating 
			 Birmingham Levels 3/4, Cannon House, 18 Priory Queensway, Birmingham B4 6BS G 200 
			 Birmingham Cobalt Square, Floors 6-9, 83 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B2 4QG D 92 
			 Blackpool Seneca House, The Links, Blackpool Business Park, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 2RS   
			 Bournemouth Richmond House, Part 3rd Floor, Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, BH2 6EZ - - 
			 Brighton 69 Middle Street, Brighton, BN1 1BE - - 
			 Bristol Part First Floor, Tower Wharf, Cheese Lane, Bristol BS2 OJJ B 35 
			 Cambridge Abbeygate House, 2nd Floor and Part 1st Floor, 164-167 East Road, Cambridge, CB1 1DB - - 
			 Canterbury Marlowe Hse, 1st and 2nd Floors, Chaucer Business Park, Thanet Way, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 3FE - - 
			 Cardiff Companies House, Part 3rd Floor, Crown Way, Cardiff, CF14 3ZA - - 
			 Chester Windsor House, 3rd Floor, Pepper Street, Chester, CH1 3DF - - 
			 Croydon Sunley House, 1st and 2nd Floors, Bedford Park, Croydon, CRO 2AP G 200 
			 Edinburgh Ladywell House, Part 2nd Floor, Ladywell Road, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, EH12 7TF - - 
			 Exeter Senate Court, 3rd Floor, Southernhay Gardens, Exeter, EX1 1UG - - 
			 Gloucester Southgate House, 1st Floor, Southgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 1UB - - 
			 Hull Anchor House, 3rd Floor, The Maltings, Silvester Street, Hull, HU1 3HA - - 
			 Ipswich St Clare House, 1st and 8th Floors, Princes Street, Ipswich, IP1 1LX - - 
			 Leeds 1 City Walk, 3rd Floor, Leeds, LS11 9DA G 200 
			 Leicester Wellington House, 4th Floor, Wellington Street, Leicester, LE1 6HL - - 
			 Liverpool Cunard Building, 2nd Floor and Part Basement, Pier Head, Liverpool, L3 1DS - - 
			 London 21 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B 3QW G 152 
			 Manchester 2nd Floor, 3 Piccadilly Place, London Road, Manchester, M1 3BN - - 
			 Medway Prince Regent House, 1st floor, Quayside, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4QZ C 65 
			 Newcastle Melbourne House, 1st floor, Pandon Bank, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2JQ - - 
			 Northampton Sol House, 1st Floor, 29 St Katherine's Street, Northampton, NN1 2QZ - - 
			 Norwich Emmanuel House, 2 Convent Road, Norwich, NR2 1PA - - 
			 Nottingham The Frontage, 4th Floor - Blocks A, B and C, Queen Street, Nottingham NG1 2BL D 90 
			 Plymouth Cobourg House, 1st floor Part and 1st Floor Other Part, Mayflower Street, Plymouth, PL1 1DJ - - 
			 Reading Apex Plaza, 3rd Floor, Forbury Road, Reading, RG1 1AX D 89 
			 St Albans Trident House, 1st Floor, 42/48 Victoria Street, St. Albans, AL1 3HR - - 
			 Sheffield City Plaza, 5th Floor, City Plaza South, Pinfold Street, Sheffield, S1 2GU - - 
			 Southampton Town Quay, Ground Floor - Suite A, Waterside House, Southampton, S014 2AQ - - 
			 Southend Central House, Part 4th Floor, Clifftown Road, Southend, SS1 1AB - - 
			 Stockton St Marks House, 2nd Floor, St Marks Court, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 6QT - - 
			 Stoke Ground Floor, Copthall House, Nelson Place, King Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, ST5 1UE - - 
			 Swansea 1st, 2nd and 3rd Floors, Langdon House, Langdon Road, Swansea - - 
			 Watford Part 4th Floor, Exchange House, 60 Exchange Road, Watford, Herts, WD18 OYP - - 
		
	
	 Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 9 December 2009:
	House of Commons Parliamentary Question: 2009/460 I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 07 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Building Energy Performance operational ratings for Concept House building occupied by Intellectual Property Office are available for 2008/09 and 2009/10 and are as follows: In 2008/2009 energy rating was 167, the energy band was G; in 2009/2010 energy rating is 148, and the energy band is F.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 16 December 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 7 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Agency occupies only one building, at Stanton Avenue, Teddington. The only year for which an Energy Rating has been issued is the current one, the certificate expiring on 19 December 2009. That certificate gives an Energy Rating of 123, Energy Band E. This rating will be reviewed as part of the process for issuing a new certificate.

Departmental Freedom of Information

Sarah Teather: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 his Department received in 2008; and how many of these received a substantive response within 20 days.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was created in June 2009 from the merger of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
	As BIS did not exist in 2008, we have supplied the statistics for the former BERR.
	Statistics published by the Ministry of Justice on freedom of information in central Government for 2008 show that of a total of 737 non-routine requests received by the former BERR Department (based on aggregated quarterly data) 70 per cent. (516) received a substantive response within 20 days. 87 per cent. (638) of requests were dealt with 'in time', that is within 20 days by meeting the deadline or other permitted extension deadline.
	The statistics can be found on the Ministry of Justice website at:
	http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/freedomofinformationquarterly.htm
	and copies are available in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Internet

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what redesigns of websites of  (a) his Department,  (b) its predecessors and  (c) its agencies were carried out since 27 June 2007; what the cost to the public purse was of each redesign; and when each redesign was conducted.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was created on 5 June by merging the former BERR and DIUS. A website at www.bis.gov.uk was set up. The design of this website was upgraded in September at zero cost, with all work done in-house by the Department's digital media team.
	BERR and DIUS were created in June 2007 from the former DTI and the former Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
	The DTI website was redesigned and rebuilt to reflect the priorities and remit of BERR. The site was relaunched in September 2008 at a cost of £528,912.
	An interim DIUS website was launched in October 2007. A redesigned version was launched in March at a cost of £105,167.
	I have approached the chief executives of the Insolvency Service, Companies House, the National Measurement Office and the Intellectual Property Office and they will respond to the hon. Member directly.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 7 December 2009, UIN 305952, to the Minister of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Since 27 June 2007 there has been no re-design of Companies House website, and therefore no cost to the public purse.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 9 December 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 7 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The National Measurement Office website underwent a complete re-development between September and December 2008. The cost directly attributable to this work by an external web development supplier was £20,649.68 plus VAT. In addition it is estimated that across the Agency some £45,000 of staff time was devoted to this project.
	 Letter from Sean Dennehey, dated 9 December 2009:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 07 December 2009, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Cost to the public purse:
	The Intellectual Property Office website redesign cost £355,000.
	When the redesign was conducted:
	The Intellectual Property Office website was redesigned and launched on 1 December 2008.
	Background Note:
	The original website launched in May 1997. Recent enhancements to the website were introduced as a result of extensive user consultation. The new website better provides guidance and tools to professional users, individuals and businesses in the UK to help them better understand, manage and benefit from Intellectual Property.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed:
	The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question if he will list any re-designs of websites held by (a) his Department, (b) its predecessors and (c) its agencies since 27 June 2007; what the cost to the public purse was of each redesign; and when each redesign was conducted.
	The Insolvency Service has not re-designed its website since 27 June 2007.

Departmental Manpower

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff of his Department were in its redeployment pool on 1  (a) January,  (b) April,  (c) July and  (d) October 2009.

Patrick McFadden: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) was created in June from the former Department for Innovation for Universities and Skills (DIUS) and former Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of staff 
			  Former DIUS  
			 January 2009 19 
			 April 2009 15 
			   
			  Former BERR  
			 January 2009 7 
			 April 2009 5 
			   
			  BIS  
			 July 2009 14 
			 October 2009 14

Departmental Training

John Baron: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many overseas training courses were attended by his Department's civil servants in the latest period for which figures are available; how many civil servants attended each course; and what the total cost to the public purse was of each course.

Patrick McFadden: No training courses overseas are funded from the budgets that are held centrally within the Department. The information requested is not held centrally for training budgets that are devolved to individual units in the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Training

Graham Stuart: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside his Department's building attended by civil servants in his Department there have been since its inception; and what the cost was of each.

Patrick McFadden: The Department does not centrally record details of  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside of the Department's building attended by civil servants. To obtain this information would require searching through four departmental and IT systems and entail disproportionate costs.
	Away days are important for bringing people together, team building, reviewing work priorities and development of staff.

Departmental Written Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what percentage of Parliamentary Questions tabled for written answer by his Department on a named day in session 2008-09 received a substantive answer on that day.

Patrick McFadden: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Glasgow, East (John Mason) on 9 December 2009,  Official Report, column 507W.

Digital Broadcasting

John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how his Department  (a) defines and  (b) measures digital inequality; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: This Department does not define digital inequality. Instead, we define digital inclusion as
	the best use of digital technology, either directly or indirectly to improve the lives and life chances of all citizens, particularly the most disadvantaged, and the places in which they live.
	On measurement, Government stated in the Digital Britain White Paper its intention to evaluate the work of the Consortium for the Promotion of Digital Participation using the following metrics:
	1. Reach: access; number of households online, and numbers using the internet outside the home;
	2. Breadth of engagement: modes of usage and consumption (communication, retail, content consumed, public services used);
	3. Depth of engagement: user contributions, comments, joining networks, user generated content, self publishing, content creation, photos uploaded and shared, etc.; and
	4. Social and economic impact: particularly the impact on economic recovery and benefits for disadvantaged groups and communities.

Fire Services: Working Hours

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment has been made of the effect of implementation of the European Working Time Directive on  (a) full-time and  (b) retained fire-fighters.

Patrick McFadden: In accordance with usual procedure, impact assessments were prepared on the Working Time Regulations 1998 and their extension in 2003 to previously excluded sectors. The Government are well aware of the value of working time flexibility for the labour market in general and firefighting services in particular. The individual right to opt-out from the maximum 48 hour week is important not only for firefighters working the retained duty system (RDS), many of whom work full time for their primary employer, but also for whole-time firefighters who work the flexible duty system or provide RDS cover. This was one of the reasons the Government fought for and secured the maintenance of the opt-out throughout recent negotiations on the revision of the Working Time Directive.

Graduates

Michael Gove: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of students graduated from university with a degree in  (a) chemistry,  (b) mathematics,  (c) physics and  (d) engineering in (i) 1990, (ii) 1997, (iii) 2003 and (iv) the last year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: The latest available figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in the table. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January.
	Figures for 1990/91 academic year are not available; the earliest figures available are for the 1994/95 academic year which have been provided as an alternative.
	Due to a change in the classification of subject and the way students are allocated in the 2002/03 academic year, earlier years are not directly comparable. This is demonstrated in the table by a break in the time series.
	
		
			  First degree qualifiers( 1)  in chemistry, mathematics, physics and engineering UK higher education institutions. Academic years 1994/95, 1997/98, 2003/04 and 2007/08 
			   Chemistry  Mathematics  Physics  Engineering  All subjects 
			  Academic year  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage  Number  Percentage 
			 1994/95(2) 4,110 2 3,435 1 2,480 1 19,805 8 237,795 100 
			 1997/98(2) 3,395 1 3,370 1 2,320 1 20,330 8 258,755 100 
			
			 2003/04 2,735 1 4,655 2 2,180 1 17,755 6 292,090 100 
			 2007/08 2,860 1 5,300 2 2,270 1 17,785 5 334,890 100 
			 (1) Cover qualifiers from all domiciles and modes of study. (2) Due to a change in the classification of subject and the way students are allocated in the 2002/03 academic year, earlier years are not directly comparable.  Note: Figures are based on a qualifications obtained population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Graduates: Work Experience

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department has spent creating and maintaining the  (a) Graduate Talent Pool and  (b) Our future, its in our hands website.

David Lammy: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has spent £158,000 (inc VAT) on creation and maintenance of the Graduate Talent Pool website.
	The Our future. Its in our hands website is owned and managed by the Learning and Skills Council. I have asked the chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council to write to you separately to provide an answer to that part of the question.

Higher Education

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students from Barnsley East and Mexborough constituency attended university courses in each year since 1996-97.

David Lammy: The latest information is provided in the table. Figures for the 2008/09 academic year will be available in January.
	
		
			  Enrolments( 1)  from Barnsley East and Mexborough constituency( 2)  UK higher education institutions( 3) -Academic years 1996/97 to 2007/08 
			  Academic year  Enrolments 
			 1996/97 740 
			 1997/98 860 
			 1998/99 1,050 
			 1999/2000 970 
			 2000/01 1,025 
			 2001/02 1,120 
			 2002/03 1,150 
			 2003/04 1,125 
			 2004/05 1,145 
			 2005/06 1,170 
			 2006/07 1,150 
			 2007/08 1,145 
			 (1) Covers undergraduate and postgraduate students of all ages enrolled on full-time and part-time courses (2) The table does not include enrolments where the constituency of the student cannot be established due to missing or invalid information. (3) Excludes the Open university due to inconsistencies in their coding of students across the time series.  Note: Figures are on a snapshot basis as at 1 December and are rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Higher Education: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students from Leeds city area  (a) attended university courses and  (b) received student loans to attend university courses in each year since 1996-97.

David Lammy: The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on enrolments from the Leeds local authority area are as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1: Enrolments( 1)  from Leeds local authority, UK higher education institutions( 2) 
			  Academic year  Enrolments 
			 1996/97 15,055 
			 1997/98 15,295 
			 1998/99 16,765 
			 1999/2000 16,890 
			 2000/01 17,145 
			 2001/02 17,510 
			 2002/03 17,970 
			 2003/04 17,875 
			 2004/05 18,610 
			 2005/06 19,060 
			 2006/07 19,255 
			 2007/08 18,850 
			 (1) Covers enrolments to both full-time and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses. This includes study on all years of courses, not just new entrants. (2 )Excludes the Open university due to inconsistencies in their data across the time series.  Note: Figures are based on a snapshot count as at 1 December to maintain consistency across the time series.  Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). 
		
	
	The number of student loan borrowers from the Leeds local authority area is as follows.
	
		
			  Table 2: Income contingent student loans 2000/01 to 2008/09( 1) 
			  Academic year  Student loan borrowers 
			 2000/01 6,840 
			 2001/02 8,090 
			 2002/03 8,480 
			 2003/04 8,680 
			 2004/05 8,670 
			 2005/06 9,050 
			 2006/07 9,670 
			 2007/08 10,200 
			 2008/09 (Provisional) 10,680 
			 (1) Consistent data are not available before academic year 2000/01. Figures exclude the older mortgage style loans, and cover loans for maintenance and tuition fees.  Source:  Student Loans Company. 
		
	
	Data from the two sources (HESA and SLC) are not directly comparable because certain students and courses (for example post graduate courses) included in Table 1 do not attract student support. Additionally, Table 2 provides those who have taken out loans, but does not include those who may have received student support in the form of a grant such as students from lower income families or those who study part-time courses.

Immobilisation of Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department and its predecessors have paid in vehicle clamping charges incurred on  (a) privately-owned and  (b) publicly-owned land in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Any costs which may exceptionally have been paid in association with vehicle clamping charges would not be recorded separately. To provide this information would therefore entail a disproportionate cost.
	Departmental policy is that the driver of the vehicle is responsible for following all advice, guidance and legislation in relation to road safety and is therefore also responsible for meeting the cost of any fines incurred (including parking fines), as a result of any driving offence. The Department will not meet those costs.

Internet

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Ofcom on access to next generation networks for internet service providers.

Stephen Timms: I and my officials are in regular contact with Ofcom on a range of issues, including next generation access.

Jobseeker's Allowance: Graduates

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what his Department's most recent estimate is of the number of university students who graduated in 2009 and who are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance in  (a) England,  (b) Leeds and  (c) Leeds North West.

David Lammy: BIS does not have information on the number of graduates who are claiming jobseeker's allowance.
	However, as a proxy, for those who left university in 2009, we can use the labour force survey to look at their initial outcomes in July to September 2009. The following table gives the latest BIS estimates of the number of 2009 UK domiciled first degree leavers in different labour market activities. Note that typically new graduates take time to move into employment in the months after graduating, with more graduates out of work in the first few months after graduation.
	BIS does not hold this information for England, Leeds or Leeds North West.
	
		
			  BIS estimates of the number of first degree graduates in each activity 
			   2008/09 graduates 
			 Employment 153,000 
			 ILO unemployment 88,000 
			 Economic inactivity 49,000 
			  Sources: Labour Force Survey Quarter 3 2009. BIS internal estimates.

Lord Sugar

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 9 December 2009,  Official Report, column 513W, on Lord Sugar, on what dates those meetings took place.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 15 December 2009
	Between the dates previously indicated, Lord Sugar met Baroness Vadera on 11 June 2009, 7 July 2009 (twice) and 3 August 2009. He met Lord Davies of Abersoch on 13 July 2009, 24 September 2009, 1 October 2009 and 30 November 2009.

Money Laundering Regulations 2007

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2009,  Official Report, column 607W, on estate agents: registration, how many estate agents who have registered with the Office of Fair Trading under the provisions of the Money Laundering Regulations 2007 have registered  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three,  (d) four,  (e) five,  (f) six,  (g) seven,  (h) eight,  (i) nine and  (j) 10 premises.

Kevin Brennan: To date, 1,775 estate agents have registered with the OFT for money laundering purposes. The registered estate agents break down is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			  (a) one premise 1,343 
			  (b) two premises 235 
			  (c) three premises 66 
			  (d) four premises 45 
			  (e) five premises 21 
			  (f) six premises 15 
			  (g) seven premises 8 
			  (h) eight premises 4 
			  (i) nine premises 5 
			  (j) 10 premises 0 
		
	
	The remaining 33 estate agents have 11 or more premises.

National Investment Corporation

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made on the creation of a national investment corporation; what the remit of the corporation will be; when it will make its first investment; what the criteria for investments will be; and what funding has been allocated for a corporation in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11.

Ian Lucas: holding answer 9 December 2009
	The Rowlands Growth Capital Review, published in November 2009, recommended the creation of a growth fund to provide a new channel to attract private sector investment into UK SMEs seeking between £2 and £10 million. The pre-Budget report set out how we are taking this forward. The Government are working with a number of banks to establish a Growth Capital Fund that will work for the benefit of the economy and we will be announcing initial investors and fund structure in 2010.
	We will take a view on the remit of National Investment Corporation in the New Year in the light of these discussions.

Overseas Students: English Language

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many places were available on English for Speakers of Other Languages courses for immigrants in  (a) 2007-08,  (b) 2008-09 and  (c) 2009-10.

Kevin Brennan: holding answer 10 December 2009
	Information is not available on the number of places for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses. Providers ensure adequate places are made available to support local demand.
	We do, however, publish the number of Learning and Skills Council funded learners participating on a Skills for Life ESOL course in each academic year. Information for 2007/08 and 2008/09 (provisional) was published in a Statistical First Release (SFR) on 22 October 2009 at:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/sfroct09
	Updated information for 2008/09 will be published on 17 December 2009.
	Information on the number of immigrants enrolling on courses is not available.
	In the 2007/08 academic year, there were 2,170 entrants to HE level courses in English as a Second Language. It is not possible to identify how many of these students were immigrants. The level of detail of individual subjects is not consistently recorded by institutions. Subject of study is only required at the subject line level (i.e. Q3 English studies), though some institutions choose to record subjects at a lower level (i.e. Q330 English as a second language). As such, the above figures may undercount the numbers studying English as a Second Language, as some institutions may have chosen to code as English studies.

Prisoners: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many prisoners received  (a) a student loan and  (b) a maintenance grant in each of the last 12 years; and how many of them (i) are in arrears on repayments and (ii) have made no repayment in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: In his written statement on 7 February 2008,  Official  Report, columns 85-86WS, on the Education (Student Support) Regulations, the Secretary of State announced that he was amending the student support regulations to disallow prisoners who were also full-time students from receiving financial support for maintenance, thereby removing the long-standing provision which had allowed prisoners to claim such support. Maintenance support for any student who has spent part of a year in prison is reduced pro-rata. Some prisoners, typically those allowed daily release on temporary licence to attend a higher education course, are eligible to receive a loan for tuition fees only.
	
		
			  Prisoners receiving student loans and grants( 1) 
			of which: 
			  Academic year  Number receiving a maintenance grant, maintenance loan or tuition fee loan  Receiving a maintenance loan  Receiving a grant( 2)  Receiving a tuition fee loan 
			 1998/99 - - - - 
			 1999/2000 10 10 - - 
			 2000/01 5 5 - - 
			 2001/02 10 10 - - 
			 2002/03 20 20 - - 
			 2003/04 15 15 - - 
			 2004/05 25 20 10 - 
			 2005/06 35 30 25 - 
			 2006/07 45 45 40 25 
			 2007/08 40 40 35 25 
			 2008/09 5 - - 5 
			 '-' = Nil or less than 3 (1) The figures reflect the number of prisoners in each year who received a payment. Prisoners may have received payments in more than one year. Figures rounded to nearest five. (2) Mostly maintenance grant or higher education grant, but may also include targeted support allowances.  Source: Student Loans Company 
		
	
	Repayments of income contingent loans, introduced in 1998, are usually collected through the tax system. Borrowers cannot get into arrears (unless they move overseas and do not repay according to the calculated repayment schedule)
	Borrowers become liable to repay their student loans in the April after they leave their course (the statutory repayment due date, SRDD). After that date those with earnings of over £15,000 per year will repay, usually by deductions from salary. Those past SRDD and earning less than £15,000 are not required to repay. In the tax year 2007/08 there were 65 borrowers past SRDD who had received loans when in prison. 10 of these made a repayment during the tax year.

Pupils: Travel

Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number of students in each local authority area who travel at least 20 miles to their further education college.

Kevin Brennan: The information requested is not available. To provide it would entail disproportionate costs.
	The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) has undertaken analysis of Travel to Learn Patterns for 16 to 18-year-olds at Further Education Providers as part of the work on responsibility for 16 to 19-year-olds transferring to local authorities following the machinery of government changes. This analysis looked at the local authority of the learner and the local authority of their provider. Much of this work has been published on the LSC's website. An example of this analysis, for the East of England, can be found at:
	http://www.lsc.gov.uk/regions/EastofEngland/whatwedo/14-19TransitionProjects.htm
	However, this analysis does not look at the number of miles that a learner travelled to their FE provider.

Royal Mail: Industrial Disputes

Liam Fox: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) letters and  (b) parcels sent to members of the armed forces stationed in (i) the UK, (ii) Europe, (iii) Afghanistan and (iv) elsewhere have been delayed as a result of industrial action by Royal Mail postal workers in each month in 2009.

Patrick McFadden: The issue raised is an operational matter for Royal Mail. I have therefore asked the chief executive of Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.
	I understand however that the Ministry of Defence British Forces Post Office (BFPO) established arrangements with Royal Mail that allowed for mail items to be sent to BFPO oversees addresses throughout the period of industrial unrest.
	A copy of Royal Mail's response will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Student Loans Company

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of theft and fraud at the Student Loans Company by  (a) staff and  (b) students in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The cost of theft or fraud by staff at the Student Loans Company in each of the last five years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost (£) 
			 2009/10 (to date) 3,178 
			 2008/09 0 
			 2007/08 1,258 
			 2006/07 0 
			 2005/06 0 
			 2004/05 0 
			 Total 4,436 
		
	
	We do not have an estimate of the cost of student-related fraud for the last five years.
	In 2005/06 academic year, the Student Loans Company made almost 800,000 payments of grants and loans. A review of identity fraud was conducted by the NHS counter-fraud and security management service, which found an estimated fraud rate of 0.6 per cent. of applications, representing approximately £8.2 million. As a result, a number of improvements have been made to help detect and prevent identity related fraud.
	Subsequently, the company assessed the level of income related fraud from a sample of 2008/09 applications and found that the fraud and error rate was between 1 and 4 per cent. The study implies that it should be possible to detect and prevent fraudulent claims worth around £5million, and the company has introduced additional checks on applications made in the 2009/10 academic year.
	The company aims to have simple and straightforward processes for students to apply for student support whilst at the same time remaining vigilant in detecting and preventing fraud.

Student Loans Company

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether any employees of the Student Loans Company have been subject to disciplinary hearings in respect of allegations of theft or fraud in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The number of Student Loans Company Ltd. employees who have been subject to disciplinary hearings in respect of allegations of theft or fraud is set out in the following table. I am advised that the hearing in 2005-06 resulted in one employee being dismissed while, prior to the other hearings taking place, the employees concerned resigned.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of employees 
			 2009-10(1) 1 
			 2008-09 0 
			 2007-08 2 
			 2006-07 1 
			 2005-06 1 
			 2004-05 0 
			 (1) To date

Student Loans Company

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many people were employed by the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: The number of people employed by the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Financial year 
			  Staff in post  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 (to date) 
			 Permanent staff 1,432 1,953 1,906 
			 Fixed term temporary staff 21 32 72 
			 Agency staff 15 1 16 
			 Contractors 19 42 2 
			 Dept/local authority secondment 1 1 1 
			 Total 1,488 2,029 1,997

Student Loans Company

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much was spent on the salaries of senior management staff at the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: The amount spent on the salaries of senior management staff at the Student Loans Company in each of the last three years is publicly available in the Student Loans Company's Annual Report and Accounts. The Annual Report and Accounts for each year are available in the House of Commons Library and to download from the Student Loans Company website at:
	http://www.slc.co.uk/about%20us/remit/annual_report.html

Student Loans Company: Dismissals

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many employees of the Student Loans Company have been dismissed following allegations of theft or fraud in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: I am advised that one Student Loans Company employee was dismissed in 2005 following allegations of theft or fraud.

Student Loans Company: Public Relations

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much the Student Loans Company (SLC) has spent on public relations (PR) in the last 12 months; and whether the SLC employs an external PR agency.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company (SLC) spent £83,892 on two staff engaged on public relations (PR) and press office work and consultancy from a PR firm, in the 12 months to 31 October.

Student Loans Company: Response Handling

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of telephone calls to the Student Loans Company were outsourced to Response Handling in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The number and proportion of telephone calls to the Student Loans Company outsourced to Response Handling in the last five years are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  2005-07  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  Number  
			 SLC 1,580,976 1,653,508 2,001,720 2,314,089 1,942,673 
			 Response 709,016 751,392 829,662 983,963 1,316,686 
			 Total 2,289,992 2.404,900 2,831,382 3,298,052 3,259,359 
			   
			  Percentage  
			 SLC 69.0 68.8 70.7 70.2 59.6 
			 Response 31.0 31.2 29.3 29.8 40.4 
			  Notes: 2009-10 figures are year to date. 2. These figures relate to calls from customers in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 
		
	
	Professor Sir Deian Hopkin's review of the delivery of financial support to students in England by the Student Loans Company for the academic year 2009-10 recommended that the company should reconsider its resourcing model for the contact centres. The SLC has accepted this recommendation and is taking urgent steps to implement improvements.

Student Loans Company: Telephone Services

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff were employed by the Student Loans Company in customer contact roles in each of the last five years; and how many are forecast to be so employed in 2010.

David Lammy: I am advised that the number of SLC staff employed in customer contact roles for the financial years 2004-05 to 2008-09 are as set out in the following table. The resource forecast for financial year 2010-11 has not yet been finalised.
	
		
			   Full-time equivalent 
			 2008-09 546 
			 2007-08 431 
			 2006-07 329 
			 2005-06 309 
			 2004-05 306 
			  Notes: 1. Figures show the number of SLC permanent and temporary staff employed on customer contact functions in October in each year from 2005 to 2009, including outsourced call handling staff but excluding SLC staff re-assigned temporarily from other duties to help with customer contact in peak periods. 2. Staff deal with contact from potential students and sponsors relating to higher education services in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The figures exclude contact relating to mortgage style loan collection activities and further education services.

Student Loans Company: Telephone Services

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what payments have been made by the Student Loans Company to Response Handling in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The following payments have been made by the Student Loans Company to Response Handling in each of the last five years for outsourced contact services:
	
		
			  Financial Year  Amount 
			 2004-05 1,183,212 
			 2005-06 1,179,027 
			 2006-07 1,365,867 
			 2007-08 1,505,268 
			 2008-09 1,710,264 
			 2009-20 (1)2,291,924 
			 (1) 2009-10 figures are year to 31 October 2009.

Student Loans Company: Telephone Services

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average time taken to answer a telephone call to  (a) Student Loans Company helplines and  (b) calls outsourced to Response Handling was in each of the last 12 months.

David Lammy: The average speed to answer telephone calls relating to Student Finance England (SFE) at the Student Loans Company (SLC) contact centre in each of the last 12 months is indicated in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1:  SFE calls at SLC Contact Centre 
			   Average speed of answer (Minutes:seconds) 
			 Month  
			  2008  
			 December 00:27 
			   
			  2009  
			 January 00:32 
			 February 01:30 
			 March 02:29 
			 April 05:18 
			 May 04:14 
			 June 03:44 
			 July 06:09 
			 August 10:00 
			 September 16:41 
			 October 09:45 
			 November 04:08 
		
	
	Calls are only routed to Response Handling when there is an advisor available to take calls under the terms of the outsourcing arrangement but that means that there are no queues at the outsourced provider and any queuing and wait time is always associated with the SLC in-house contact centre. The average speed to answer an SFE call at Response Handling in each of the last 12 months is indicated in the following table:
	
		
			  Table  2 : SFE calls directed to Response Handling 
			  Month  Average speed of answer  (Minutes:seconds) 
			  2008  
			 December 00:07 
			   
			  2009  
			 January 00:06 
			 February 00:07 
			 March 00:04 
			 April 00:05 
			 May 00:15 
			 June 00:13 
			 July 00:13 
			 August 00:14 
			 September 00:15 
			 October 00:13 
			 November 00:13 
			  Notes: (1) Average Speed of Answer is calculated from when the customer enters the contact centre queue, having completed any prior identification, verification or other menu options on the IVR (interactive voice response system,) and ends when an agent answers. (2) Response Handling outsourcing was utilised to answer SFE related application calls only. (3) Although the figures provided are for SFE related calls only, SLC in-house Contact Centre resource is utilised across a range of services covering customers with applications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and borrowers across the UK. 
		
	
	Professor Sir Deian Hopkin's review of the delivery of financial support to students in England by the Student Loans Company for the academic year 2009-10 recommended that the company should reconsider its resourcing model for the contact centres. The SLC has accepted this recommendation and is taking urgent steps to implement improvements.

Student Loans Company: Telephone Services

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how much has been raised through helpline charges by the Student Loans Company in each year between 2004-05 and 2009-10; and what proportion of such funds was raised from calls which were  (a) answered by a person and  (b) unanswered in each such year.

David Lammy: The information provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC) is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  SLC revenue from telephone charges by financial year 
			  Financial year  Telephone charge revenue amount (£000) 
			 2004-05 96 
			 2005-06 283 
			 2006-07 283 
			 2007-08 332 
			 2008-09 447 
			 2009-10 (to end October 2009) 265 
		
	
	The split for revenue by calls answered/abandoned is not held.
	These figures are in the context of the SLC's net telephone expenditure as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Net telephone expenditure (£000) 
			 2004-05 970 
			 2005-06 890 
			 2006-07 838 
			 2007-08 519 
			 2008-09 459 
			 2009-10 (to end October 2009) 307

Student Loans Company: Telephone Services

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what discussions representatives of his Department have had with the Student Loans Company (SLC) during 2009 on a geographical telephone number for enquiries to the SLC.

David Lammy: Ministers and officials are in regular contact with the Student Loans Company (SLC) on a wide range of issues, including telephones. During 2009 there have been no discussions specifically about a geographical phone number for inquiries to the SLC.

Students

David Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of students studying for a foundation degree in  (a) university and  (b) college are from a widening participation background; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The latest figures from the Higher Education Funding Council for England are provided in the table.
	Figures are provided for UK-domiciled full-time and part-time foundation degree entrants from low participation neighbourhoods to English higher education institutions and further education colleges.
	The proportion of entrants from low participation neighbourhoods (LPNs) is one measure which the Department uses to monitor widening participation in higher education, along with socio-economic classification and the proportion of entrants from state school. LPNs are defined as wards which are ranked in the bottom 20 per cent. with regard to participation rates of young people (under 21) in higher education. LPNs have been used as a preferred measure of widening participation in this answer due to the high level of unknown data for socio-economic classification (approximately 50 per cent.) and proportion of entrants from state schools (approximately 40 per cent.) for foundation degree entrants.
	Foundation degrees are part of a range of measures, including more part-time study, more work-based study and more fast-track degrees that we are utilising in order to attract a greater diversity of students. Widening participation in higher education is about identifying and nurturing talent, wherever it is found, with schools, colleges and higher education institutions working together to ensure that all those with the ability and potential to benefit from higher education are able and prepared to do so.
	
		
			  UK-domicile foundation degree entrants from low participation neighbourhoods (LPNs). English HEIs and FECs. Academic year 2007-08 
			Full-time  Part-time  Total 
			  Institution type  Age group  Number entrants  Percentage from LPN  Number entrants  Percentage from LPN  Number entrants  Percentage from LPN 
			 FEC Young 2,805 29 405 20 3,210 28 
			  Mature 3,085 27 2,365 24 5,450 26 
			 
			 HEI Young 7,085 17 955 20 8,040 17 
			  Mature 7,770 16 10,260 17 18,030 17 
			 
			 Unknowns  3,130 - 3,020 - 6,150 - 
			 
			 Total  23,870  17,010  40,880  
			  Notes: 1. Institution type refers to the institution the student is registered with. 2. 'Unknowns' includes those with unknown postcode or date of birth. 3. 'Young' refers to students under the age of 21 at the commencement of their course. 4. 'Mature' refers to students aged 21 and over at the commencement of their course. 5. HEI: Higher education institution, FEC: Further education college 6. The numbers in the table have been derived using area groupings which are different to the latest POLAR methodology used to calculate some of the Performance Indicators in Higher Education (published by HESA).

Students: Disabled

Mark Harper: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many and what proportion of applications for disabled students allowance in the academic year 2009-10 which were refused have been appealed against; and what proportion of appeals were upheld.

David Lammy: holding answer 15 December 2009
	Continuing students will apply for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSAs) through their local authority (LA) and will appeal to that LA where an application has been refused.
	For academic year 2009/10, the Student Loans Company (SLC) is responsible for processing applications for DSAs only from new students. I am advised SLC has not received any appeals from those who have submitted unsuccessful applications for DSA.

Students: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer of 5 November 2009,  Official Report, column 1241W, on students: finance, which stakeholders his Department will consult.

David Lammy: The review has launched its first call for evidence, asking for views on the current system of higher education funding and the key trends the review should be considering when thinking about future policy. All those with an interest in higher education are encouraged to submit evidence in this process.
	The review has also had the first meeting of its advisory forum, which is made up of key stakeholders from business, academia and student groups. A list of organisations represented on the advisory forum can be found on the review's website.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many complaints regarding the time taken to process disabled students allowance applications have been received by  (a) his Department and  (b) the Student Loans Company in the last 12 months.

David Lammy: In the last 12 months, the Department has received 34 complaints in this category. The Student Loans Company does not separately categorise complaints about applications for Disabled Students' Allowances.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost was of designing and implementing the integrated applications system for student loans introduced in September 2008.

David Lammy: Changes required to deliver the new Student Finance (England) service are due to be phased in over a number of years. The total cost of designing and implementing the system between financial years 2006-07 and 2011-12 is expected to be £48.7 million, of which £33.3 million had been spent at the end of financial year 2008-09.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations  (a) his Department and  (b) the Students Loans Company has received from universities seeking reimbursement of emergency loans issued to students.

David Lammy: The Department has not received any representations from universities seeking reimbursement of emergency loans to students. Neither has the Student Loans Company.

Students: Loans

David Willetts: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the monetary value was of  (a) outstanding student loans held and  (b) student loan repayments made by students from (i) the UK, (ii) other EU member states and (iii) non-EU countries in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Loan balance outstanding and repayments 
			  £ million 
			  Financial Year  Loan balance outstanding including loans not yet due for repayment( 1)  Repayments posted to SLC accounts during financial year 
			  English domicile   
			 2004-05 13,033.4 417.3 
			 2005-06 15,321.7 481.6 
			 2006-07 18,106.7 529.8 
			 2007-08 21,902.2 633.0 
			 2008-09 25,867.0 897.6 
			  EU domicile   
			 2006-07 9.7 (2)- 
			 2007-08 42.1 0.5 
			 2008-09 96.8 2.0 
			 (1) Loan balance at the end of the financial year (2) Less than 100,000  Source:  Student Loans Company 
		
	
	The table shows those who at the time of their application for student support were either English domiciled students studying in the UK, or who were EU students studying in England.
	Students from non-EU countries are not generally eligible for support. However, EEA migrant workers and certain family members, children of Swiss nationals and children of Turkish workers may be eligible. Such students are entitled to apply for the full student support package, and are included in the English domicile part of the table.
	EU students who have taken out tuition fee loans only, (introduced in academic year 2006-07), are shown in the EU domicile part of the table. Most EU loan borrowers are still at university and therefore not yet required to begin repaying their loans. A borrower who started a typical three year course in 2006-07 will become liable to begin repaying in April 2010.
	Most income contingent loan repayments are collected through the tax system. The SLC are notified of repayments after the end of the tax year. This means that, for example, repayments shown in financial year 2008-09 mostly relate to repayments made in tax year 2007-08. Repayments made via the tax system in tax year 2008-09 are not reflected in the table. The figures include repayments made directly to the SLC from borrowers living overseas and from borrowers who have chosen to repay more than the regulatory amount.
	The SLC has robust measures in place to collect loan repayments from EU Students. Those staying in the UK are expected to obtain a National Insurance Number (NINO) and make repayments through the UK tax system. But those borrowers who move and default on their loans will be traced and, where appropriate, legal action will be taken.

Students: Loans

Phil Willis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he expects all outstanding student loan applications to be processed by 31 December 2009.

David Lammy: holding answer 10 December 2009
	I have been advised that Student Finance England cleared the backlog of correspondence by 11 December 2009 and I have sought clarification of this from the chief executive of the Student Loans Company. The Student Loans Company is still receiving around 1,500 new applications each week.
	There are students in the system who still need to provide all the necessary evidence for their application to be completed. This includes people claiming disabled students' allowance who are still awaiting their assessments. I have instructed the SLC to work swiftly to contact students and assessment centres in universities to process all outstanding cases as quickly as possible.

Students: Loans

Phil Willis: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of second instalment student loans he expects to be paid by 28 January 2010; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: holding answer 10 December 2009
	It is not clear whether the question relates to maintenance or tuition fee loans.
	Of the applications processed so far, there are currently 741,376 second maintenance loan instalments relating to Student Finance England scheduled for payment between 24 December and 31 January.
	These figures exclude payment of grants.

Students: Loans

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what mechanisms are in place to ensure that students in higher education receive their tuition fee and maintenance loans before their course commences.

David Lammy: Students cannot receive maintenance loans or grants before their course commences. Once the university has confirmed the student's attendance, payment is made through the Bankers' Automated Clearing System (BACS). Tuition fees are paid directly to Higher Education Institutions on behalf of students in two equal instalments during the academic year.

Students: Loans

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what the budget of the Student Loans Company has been in each of the last three years.

David Lammy: The Student Loans Company's UK budget is set out in an Annual Performance and Resource Agreement letter, the most recent of which is available to download from the Student Loans Company website at:
	http://www.slc.co.uk/about%20us/remit/index.html
	The UK budget for the last three years has been as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2007-08 75.7 
			 2008-09 86.7 
			 2009-10 98.1

Students: Loans

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what powers the Government has to alter the management  (a) structure and  (b) personnel of the Student Loans Company.

David Lammy: Governance arrangements agreed between the Administrations of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and the Student Loans Company (SLC) are set out in the SLC's Framework Document which is available in the House of Commons Library and also on the Student Loans Company's website at:
	http://www.slc.co.uk/about%20us/remit/index.html
	Ministers appoint the Chair and Non-Executive Directors of the SLC Board and approve the appointment by the Board of the Chief Executive Officer. Other Executive Director appointments are a matter for the SLC Board.

Students: Radicalism

Adam Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre of 15 July 2009,  Official Report, column 507W, on students: radicalism, which institutions will receive further targeted support in the new academic year.

David Lammy: The list of which institutions will receive further targeted support will be finalised in February 2010. I will write to the hon. Member with the list once it has been finalised.

UK Trade and Investment: Internet

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what redesigns of websites operated by UK Trade and Investment have been carried out since 27 June 2007; and what the  (a) cost to the public purse and  (b) date of completion of each such redesign was.

Ian Lucas: £42,000 was spent redeveloping the former MOD Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) website when the organisation became UKTI Defence and Security Organisation (UKTI DSO) in April 2008. The work on the website:
	www.dso.uktradeinvest.gov.uk
	was completed in May 2008.

Vocational Training: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to maintain a high skills level in the West Midlands.

Kevin Brennan: The Government are taking a range of measures to maintain a high skills level in the West Midlands and across the country as a whole.
	On 3 November Government published Higher Ambitions: the future of universities in the Knowledge economy. It sets out the priorities for the Government's approach to higher education (HE) over the next 10 years. Public funding for HE has increased by over 25 per cent. from 1997-98 to 2008-09 in real terms. We now have a third of the population with Level 4 plus qualification compared to less than a quarter in 1997.
	We also published the Skills for Growth White Paper on 11 November. This is our National Skills Strategy which sets out a number of new commitments, including:
	Renewal of commitment to the basic targets set out by the 2006 Leitch report for improving the skills level of the nation.
	A new ambition for three quarters of young people to participate in higher education or complete a technician or equivalent course by the age of 30.
	A new approach to anticipate and respond to future skills needs for economic prosperity and social mobility whilst continuing to respond to the here and now of employers and learners.
	Expanding apprenticeships to create a modern class of technicians, with 35,000 more advanced apprenticeships and progression routes for apprentices into HE.
	Improve quality of provision, empowering learners with greater choice; giving more autonomy to colleges and training institutions that deliver excellence; and cutting lower priority courses.
	In our Skills Investment Strategy, published on the 16 November, we set out how we will fund skills training in the academic year 2010-11. It outlines that:
	We will increase funding for adult apprenticeships to £400 million which includes increased support for advanced apprenticeships for 19-30 year-olds in line with the commitments in Skills for Growth for an additional 35,000 places over the next two years.
	We will continue our investment to provide vital training and employability skills to support those out of work into sustainable employment, particularly through the six month offer and young person's guarantee.
	We will also continue to support the delivery of statutory entitlements that give adults the opportunity to gain the basic skills for employability including literacy and numeracy skills.

TREASURY

Banks: Finance

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether  (a) UK Financial Investments and  (b) HM Treasury is undertaking currency cover in respect of the £170 billion of foreign currency loans covered by its underwriting for Royal Bank of Scotland.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: United Kingdom Financial Investments does not have the remit to undertake currency cover in respect of foreign currency loans.
	The Treasury does not normally buy insurance against risk.

Civil Service: Location

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on compensatory steps to reduce the economic effects of transferring further Civil Service posts away from Croydon.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 9 December 2009
	The Government's existing property strategy requires all new acquisitions, lease renewals and break clauses to seek my approval to stay in London and the south-east. This ensures that in reaching a decision, I can assess the implications of the case for remaining in London and the south-east or for relocating to another part of the country.
	Where necessary Treasury Ministers will discuss relocation issues with ministerial colleagues.

Climate Change Levy: Agriculture

James Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the expenditure on energy efficiency measures by the  (a) horticulture,  (b) pig and  (c) poultry industry which was funded by receipts under the Climate Change Levy to the Carbon Trust.

Joan Ruddock: I have been asked to reply.
	My right hon. Friend has made no such estimate. However, the Carbon Trust (CT) offers energy efficiency advice and surveys in respect of all agricultural sectors including horticulture, and the pig and poultry industries, and publishes a wide range of advice on their website with self help guidance and fact sheets including specific sections for:
	Poultry meat
	Pigs
	Protected horticulture
	In 2007-08 CT also funded the Grow Save programme-run by the Horticultural Development Board-which helps growers reduce the energy consumption of greenhouses.
	These activities were funded by Carbon Trust's core government grant as well as other sources of income

Companies: Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies and trusts are registered in each of the UK Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.

Chris Bryant: I have been asked to reply.
	The registration of companies and trusts in the Overseas Territories is the responsibility of their financial authorities. Their contact details are as follows:
	
		
			   Contact detail 
			 Anguilla: info@fsc.org.ai 
			   
			 Bermuda: Registrar of Companies: slowe@gov.bm 
			 Bermuda Monetary Authority: trust@bma.bm 
			   
			 British Virgin Islands: commissioner@bvifsc.vg 
			   
			 Cayman Islands: cima@cimoney.com.ky 
			   
			 Gibraltar: Registrar of Companies: mail@companieshouse.gi 
			 Financial Services Commission: info@fsc.gi 
			   
			 Montserrat: fsccomr@candw.ms 
			   
			 Turks and Caicos Islands: khiggins@tcifsc.tc 
		
	
	The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies. The contact details for their regulatory authorities are:
	
		
			   Contact detail 
			 Guernsey: info@gfsc.gg 
			 Jersey: info@jerseyfsc.org 
			 Isle of Man: john.aspden@fsc.gov.im

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 22 June 2009,  Official Report, column 662W, on council tax: valuation, whether the council tax banding support tool will be linked with the Valuation Office Agency's Geographical Information System; and whether the tool utilises  (a) dwellingcode and value significant code data and  (b) analysis derived from the Automated Valuation Model.

Ian Pearson: There will be no direct link between the Valuation Office Agency's (VOA's) council tax banding support tool and its Geographic Information System when the latter is implemented.
	An automated selection process within the banding support tool identifies properties which are closely comparable to a given subject property. This process makes use of  (a) dwelling house code data (i.e. property details), which includes value significant code data; but not  (b) analysis derived from the VOA's Automated Valuation Models.

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer of 3 November 2009,  Official Report, column 840W, on council tax: valuation, how many times the Valuation Office Agency has reduced the council tax banding of a dwelling due to the presence of a nearby Traveller encampment in the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: The information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Crown Estate Commissioners: Conferences

Graham Stuart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) away days and  (b) conferences that took place outside the Crown Estate's buildings attended by civil servants in the Crown Estate there have been since 2005; and what the cost was of each.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Employees of The Crown Estate are not civil servants.

Crown Estate Commissioners: Hotels

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Crown Estate has spent on hotel accommodation for its officials in each of the last five years.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: Expenditure on hotel accommodation for Crown Estate officials in the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   £000 
			 2004-05 25 
			 2005-06 23 
			 2006-07 40 
			 2007-08 43 
			 2008-09 87

Departmental Energy

Paul Holmes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the energy efficiency rating is of each of his Department's buildings in London.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps) on 11 November 2009,  Official Report, column 585W.

Dubai Ports World

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely level of financial exposure of the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group to Dubai World debt.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Treasury is unable to disclose such information as it is commercially sensitive.

Dubai Ports World

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether UK Financial Investments is seeking representation on the Dubai World creditors' committee.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: In line with its Investment Mandate, agreed with Treasury, and the Institutional Shareholders' Committee Statement of Principles, UKFI acts as an engaged and informed institutional shareholder for the banks in which Government have shareholdings.
	Day to day management of the banks' business is a matter for the banks' boards.

Economic Situation

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of a new independent body to undertake fiscal forecasts on interest rates.

Ian Pearson: As announced in the pre-Budget report, the Government have introduced a Fiscal Responsibility Bill to enhance the fiscal framework put in place in 1997, by increasing Parliament's role in debating and approving the Government's medium-term fiscal plans.

Equitable Life Ex-gratia Payment Scheme Review

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations his Department has made to Sir John Chadwick in respect of the  (a) methods by which the Equitable Life compensation scheme is to be administered and  (b) criteria by which compensation is to be awarded.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 14 December 2009
	The Government's response to Sir John Chadwick's interim report of June 2009, in which he invited comments on the specific issues he should address in carrying out his work, was published by Sir John along with other representations made to him in August 2009. The document can be viewed on his website at:
	http://www.chadwick-office.org/documents.asp
	The Government's representations with regard to his interim report of August 2009, in which he invited comment on his proposals on approaching the assessment of relative loss he should adopt, will be published shortly and will be available at:
	http://www.chadwick-office.org/documents.asp

Excise Duties: Motor Vehicles

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cars registered in the UK were eligible for Band A vehicle excise duty in the latest period for which figures are available.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: As of June 2009, 9,100 cars were licensed in Band A of CO2-based vehicle excise duty.

Housing: Energy

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for further consultation on economic measures to encourage residential sector energy efficiency.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: The Government will shortly consult on an extension to the end of 2012 of its flagship home energy efficiency programme, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), from its current end date of April 2011. During its current 2008-11 phase, CERT will drive an estimated £3.2 billion investment in home insulation and other energy saving measures to meet a target of 185 MtCO2 lifetime savings. The new 21-month target will be at least as ambitious as the current scheme on a pro rata basis.
	The Government also offer other incentives for energy efficiency including:
	reduced rates of VAT (5 per cent.) for the professional installation of certain energy saving products within residential properties, including insulation,
	a stamp duty relief for new zero-carbon homes, and
	the Landlords Energy Savings Allowance, which offers an incentive of up to £1,500 per dwelling for landlords investing in installing specified energy saving items.

Income Tax: Pensioners

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of pensioners living in Leeds West constituency who pay income tax.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is not available, however the information on the number of taxpayers paying income tax on their pension income by constituency can be found in table 3.15 Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency available at:
	http://hmrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#315
	Information on the number of pensioner taxpayers by gender, region and country can be found in table 3.12 Income and tax for individuals of pension age by gender and country available at:
	http://www.hmnrc.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu-by-year.htm#312
	Estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes, of which 2006-07 is currently the latest available.
	Any inference from the information in table 3.15 should take into account the confidence intervals in table 3.15a Income and tax by Parliamentary Constituency. Confidence Intervals, available at the above web address.

Income Tax: Pensioners

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the income tax receipts to the Exchequer from pension income in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The estimate of income tax from all pension income in 2009-10 is £12.1 billion. This figure is based on the 2006-07 Survey of Personal Incomes projected forward to 2009-10 in line with the 2009 pre-Budget report.

Non-Domestic Rates: Garages and Petrol Stations

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what mechanism the Valuation Office Agency assesses the value of petrol filling stations.

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 10 December 2009,  Official Report, column 583W.

Public Service Agreements

Chloe Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on co-ordination of progress in the achievement of Public Service Agreement targets by Government departments.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 9 December 2009
	The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has ministerial responsibility for public service reform, delivery and performance, including public service agreements (PSAs).
	Within the Treasury, the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (PMDU) co-ordinates, monitors and reports on progress in relation to the achievement of PSAs. The PMDU reports jointly to the Prime Minister and to the Chancellor and works closely with Downing Street, HM Treasury, the Cabinet Office and a range of other Departments.
	As part of their ministerial responsibilities, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and the Chancellor have ongoing discussions on the co-ordination of progress in the achievement of PSAs by Government Departments.
	Progress on PSAs is reported to Parliament in the Departmental Annual Reports and the Autumn Performance Report.

Tax Allowances: Freight

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of introducing an essential user rebate system for UK road hauliers; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such a rebate if by this means diesel costs to UK road hauliers were reduced in effect to the EU average.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: EU law does not allow for a reduced fuel duty rate just for hauliers. A reduced rate for commercial vehicles would be allowable. However, this would have significant Exchequer costs and in this time of fiscal consolidation such expenditure and fiscal risk would not be appropriate. The difficulties of such a proposal (given that fuel duty is charged on supplies) would lead to significant complexity and administrative costs for Government and industry, and risk fraud and evasion.

Tax Enquiry Centres

Tom Clarke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to ensure that changes in the opening times at tax enquiry centres do not adversely affect  (a) pensioners,  (b) people with disabilities and  (c) other vulnerable groups less likely to use the internet or the telephone.

Stephen Timms: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 14 December 2009,  Official Report, column 855W. An Equality Impact Assessment of changes to Enquiry Centre opening hours will be published prior to any changes being made.

Taxation: Domicile

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people gave up non-domiciled tax status in the last tax year; and what mechanism exists for removing such status.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 7 December 2009
	Information on the number of individuals who declared a non-UK domicile status to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in 2007/08, but declared themselves to be UK domiciled in 2008-09 is obtainable only at disproportionate cost, as manual checks of free text boxes on self-assessment tax returns for those years would be needed to establish this.
	Individuals generally acquire their father's domicile at birth. This can be changed after the age of 16 by showing that they have chosen to live permanently in another country to the one they are domiciled in. It is a matter of fact and degree whether this choice is sufficient to alter domicile status.
	The individual will need to show that they live in the other country and intend to remain there permanently or indefinitely. It is for the person asserting the change of domicile to prove this. Each case depends upon its facts, and is a matter of general law rather than tax law.

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations his Department and HM Revenue and Customs have received from operators of long-term residential lets  (a) on the equity of the system of furnished holiday lettings relief extended to operators of self-catering holiday properties and  (b) seeking the abolition of such relief.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 20 October 2009,  Official Report, column 1413W, to the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik).

Taxation: Holiday Accommodation

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Revenue and Customs took to determine the range of services characteristically offered by providers of self-contained accommodation prior to reaching the conclusion that the services and facilities provided by self-catering operators in receipt of furnished holiday lettings relief are not appropriate to secure classification as a trade.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs' guidance explains the difference between trade and property business, based on the legislation and the courts1 interpretation of it. In the past the courts have decided that income from furnished holiday letting is not normally a trade.

VAT: Gaming Machines

Ian Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will waive the back payments of value added tax and gaming machine duty on category B3A gaming machines owed by not-for-profit sports and social clubs.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry: There is no legal basis for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to waive tax that is properly due.
	Some not-for-profit sports and social clubs are disputing HMRC's tax treatment of electronic lottery (category B3A) gaming machines, and tribunal cases are pending about that. It would not be appropriate to comment further until the outcome of those cases is known.

Welfare Tax Credits: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the number of families in each ward of Leeds West constituency who are in receipt of  (a) working tax credit and  (b) child tax credit.

Stephen Timms: The following table shows, for each ward within the Metropolitan Borough of Leeds, as at 1 April 2009, estimates for the number of households benefiting from tax credits.
	Due to small sample sizes, separate information on the number of households receiving working tax credits and child tax credits in each ward is not available. However, estimates of the number of families benefiting, by award type; for each local authority and parliamentary constituency are provided in the HM Revenue and Customs snapshot publication Child and Working Tax Credits. Geographical Analysis, April 2009. This is available at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	
		
			  Ward  Number of households  i n receipt of tax credits 
			 Adel and Wharfedale 1,300 
			 Alwoodley 1,700 
			 Ardsley and Robin Hood 2,400 
			 Armley 3,200 
			 Beeston and Holbeck 2,800 
			 Bramley and Stanningley 3,000 
			 Burmantofts and Richmond Hill 3,400 
			 Calverley and Parsley 2,000 
			 Chapel Allerton 2,700 
			 City and Hunslet 2,200 
			 Cross Gates and Whinmoor 2,400 
			 Farnley and Wortley 3,000 
			 Garforth and Swillington 2,000 
			 Gipton and Harehills 3,900 
			 Guiseley and Rawdon 2,000 
			 Harewood 900 
			 Headingley 300 
			 Horsforth 1,600 
			 Hyde Park and Woodhouse 1,300 
			 Killingbeck and Seacroft 3,500 
			 Kippax and Methley 2,200 
			 Kirkstall 1,900 
			 Middleton Park 3,800 
			 Moortown 1,800 
			 Morley North 2,300 
			 Morley South 2,400 
			 Otley and Yeadon 2,200 
			 Pudsey 2,200 
			 Rothwell 1,900 
			 Roundhay 1,900 
			 Temple Newsam 2,600 
			 Weetwood 1,300 
			 Wetherby 1,200

Welfare Tax Credits: York

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in City of York have had their tax credits increased in the last 12 months as a result of their earned income falling; and by what average weekly amount such tax credits rose.

Stephen Timms: HM Revenue and Customs estimate that, as of 1 November 2009, 1.000 families in the City of York have benefited from an increased Tax Credits award, worth an average of £37 per week, as a consequence of their total income having fallen since the beginning of the 2009-10 tax year.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Animal Experiments: Licensing

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in force in Wales at the end of 2008 were in the  (a) mild,  (b) moderate,  (c) substantial and  (d) unclassified severity banding.

Meg Hillier: During 2008, in Wales, 61 per cent. of the project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 were in the mild severity banding, 39 per cent. in moderate, there were none in substantial or unclassified.

Animal Experiments: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 which were conducted in Wales in 2008 were conducted for  (a) fundamental and applied studies other than toxicology and  (b) toxicity tests or other safety and efficacy evaluation.

Meg Hillier: All the scientific procedures on living animals started in 2008 in Wales under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 related to fundamental and applied studies other than toxicology.

Animal Experiments: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 which were conducted in Wales in 2008 involved  (a) cats,  (b) dogs,  (c) rabbits,  (d) horses and other equids,  (e) New World primates and  (f) Old World primates which (i) were genetically modified and (ii) had a harmful genetic defect.

Meg Hillier: In 2008 there were no such procedures in Wales nor in Great Britain as a whole (Table three, Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals Great Britain 2008, available from the Library of the House-HC800).

Animal Experiments: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) mice,  (b) rats,  (c) guinea pigs,  (d) hamsters,  (e) rabbits,  (f) horses and other equids,  (g) sheep,  (h) pigs,  (i) birds,  (j) amphibians,  (k) reptiles,  (l) fish,  (m) cats,  (n) dogs,  (o) New World primates and  (p) Old World primates were used in procedures conducted in Wales and regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2008.

Meg Hillier: In line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (implementing the Statistics and Registration Act 2007), and the National Statistician's guidance Confidentiality of Official Statistics, the information requested is not available. Providing the information requested would breach statistical confidentiality relating to individual establishments.

Animal Experiments: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual animals were used in procedures regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Wales in 2008.

Meg Hillier: During 2008, in Wales, there were 48,507 animals used in scientific procedures on living animals started under the 1986 Act.

Animal Experiments: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of procedures regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 carried out in Wales in 2008 were conducted without anaesthesia.

Meg Hillier: During 2008, in Wales, 52 per cent. of the scientific procedures on living animals started under the 1986 Act used no form of anaesthesia.

Animal Experiments: Wales

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many project licences in respect of work to be carried out in Wales were granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in 2008; and how many such project licences were in force at the end of 2008.

Meg Hillier: During 2008 23 project licences were granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in Wales. On 31 December 2008 there were 77 project licences in force in Wales.

Assaults On Police

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records are kept of the number of cautions issued for assault on a police officer.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The Ministry of Justice Cautions Database holds records of each caution, reprimand and warning issued, and reported by police forces, in England and Wales. In each case the offender's gender and age are recorded along with some limited information on ethnicity. The database holds a record of the police force area in which the caution was issued and the offence for which the caution was given. Information is reported centrally on this basis (including records on the number of cautions issued for assault on a constable) irrespective of the nature of the offence.
	The number of cautions issued in England and Wales in 2007 (latest available) for assault on a constable under section 89(1) of the Police Act 1996 is 2,183.
	Court proceedings data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.

Asylum

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Southern Sudanese people with refugee status or awaiting a decision on their status there are in the UK.

Phil Woolas: The requested information relating to Southern Sudanese nationals is not collated separately. Further, information on asylum applicants awaiting an initial decision, by nationality or sub-region, is unavailable and could only be obtained by examination of individual case records at disproportionate cost.
	Information on asylum is published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics for 2008 and statistics for Q3 2009 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Asylum: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers living in  (a) the City of York and  (b) Yorkshire and the Humber received support from public funds in each year since 2002.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support in City of York and Yorkshire and the Humber at the end of each year between 2002 and 2008.
	Information on immigration and asylum, including asylum seekers in receipt of support, are published annually and quarterly. Annual statistics and the latest statistics for Q3 2009 are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html
	
		
			  Number of asylum seekers( 1, 2) , including dependants, in receipt of support, in York and Yorkshire and the Humber, 2002-08, as at end of December( 3) 
			   Subsistence only  Accommodation and subsistence( 4)  Total 
			  York:
			 2002 20 5 25 
			 2003 25 5 30 
			 2004 15 5 15 
			 2005 5 - 5 
			 2006 * - * 
			 2007 * - * 
			 2008 5 - 5 
			 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber
			 2002 800 10,215 11,015 
			 2003 855 9,920 10,775 
			 2004 660 9,370 10,030 
			 2005 375 7,645 8,020 
			 2006 305 7,750 8,055 
			 2007 325 7,095 7,420 
			 2008 230 4,405 4,640 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 (- = 0, * = 1 or 2) and may not sum to the totals shown due to independent rounding. (2) Excludes unaccompanied asylum seeking children and those in initial accommodation. (3) Provisional figures. (4) Includes disbenefited cases.

Databases: EC Law

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the data breach notification requirements in the EU E-privacy Directive will be transposed into UK law; what sanctions are available under current law against organisations or individuals who breach data privacy; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department was pleased at the successful conclusion to the two year review of the European Electronic Communications Framework last month. This included adoption of the so-called citizen's rights amending directive which improves existing regulations on privacy and electronic communications (Directive 2002/58/EC). Officials in BIS are embarking on a major consultation and transposition exercise that will see these revisions, including the new requirements for data breach notification, implemented into UK law over the next 18 months.
	These revisions introduce a new, specific definition of personal data breach, which includes accidental loss; and the article on data security has been significantly expanded to address issues of access to, storage of, transmission and processing of such personnel data. The competent national authority (Information Commissioner's Office) will now be able to audit the security policies of operators and any breach of personal data requirements will have to be notified to the authority and individuals concerned.
	At the current time, organisations and individuals can be subject to enforcement orders and sanctions under the provisions of the Data Protection Act (DP A) 1998, following prosecution in a magistrates or crown court (£5,000 in the former, unlimited in the latter). In 2010, provisions of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 take effect whereby the Information Commissioner could also issue a monetary penalty for a breach of data privacy provisions in that Act.
	The revised e-Privacy Directive contains a new article which specifically addresses investigation and enforcement of the improved regime and provides for penalties, including criminal sanctions, that are both proportionate and dissuasive. The Department will be consulting consumers, operators and other stakeholders on developing this regime over the next 18 months.

Departmental Art Works

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department spent on art works in the last 12 months.

Phil Woolas: There has been no expenditure on art by the Department at its HQ at 2 Marsham street over the last 12 months. Information on any possible expenditure on art elsewhere is not held centrally.

Departmental Legal Costs

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure his Department and its agencies have incurred on external legal advice and representation in each year since 1997; and for what purposes such professional services have been commissioned.

Phil Woolas: The requested detail for years 1996-97 to 2001-02 is not available. However, the Department's expenditure on external legal services for 2002-03 to 2008-09 is set out in the following table.
	Home Office numbers for the years 2002-03 to 2006-07 include the National Offenders Management Service and the Office of Criminal Justice Reform which transferred from the Home Office to Ministry of Justice on nine May 2007. These costs could not be identified separately without incurring disproportionate cost.
	This figure does not include the cost to the Home Office of litigation or other legal services provided by the Treasury Solicitor or elsewhere within Government.
	The purposes for which such services have been commissioned relate principally to legal advice, such as advice on commercial projects.
	Legal costs are incurred in accordance with guidance, issued by Attorney-General, on what constitutes core Government business and the use of the private sector for government legal work.
	
		
			  Home Office expenditure on external legal services, 
			   £ thousand 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Home Office 10,067 11,505 17,362 28,075 23,614 2,856 2,229 
			 Identity and Passport Service 98 292 363 766 1,214 3,460 3,880 
			 Criminal Records Bureau 0 0 8 35 29 25 97

Departmental Procurement

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there has been any nugatory cost to  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies arising from tendered procurement in circumstances where the tender process has been cancelled prior to the award of the contract in the last five years.

Phil Woolas: From best available records in the last five years the Home Department and its executive agencies have not incurred any nugatory bid costs from suppliers where tender processes have been cancelled prior to the award of contract. Nugatory costs for staff time and other associated costs are not recorded centrally and a search of individual records for any available information could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Rail Travel

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date he last travelled by train in the course of his official duties.

Alan Johnson: I last travelled by train on Tuesday, 1 December 2009.

Departmental Training

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on away days in the last 12 months; and what the (i) subject and (ii) location of each away day was.

Phil Woolas: The Home Office accounting system does not separately identify expenditure on staff away days. To provide the requested detail would incur disproportionate cost.

Detention Centres

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many transfers of detainees between immigration detention centres have been made in each month in 2009.

Phil Woolas: The following table shows the number of transfers from one immigration removal centre to another of individuals detained under Immigration Act powers.
	
		
			  Month of transfer  Number of transfers 
			 January 2009 1,180 
			 February 2009 1,317 
			 March 2009 1,632 
			 April 2009 1,344 
			 May 2009 1,326 
			 June 2009 1,522 
			 July 2009 1,567 
			 August 2009 1,951 
			 September 2009 1,622 
			 October 2009 1,668 
			 Total 15,129 
		
	
	The data are management information only and have not been subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications. These figures are provisional and are subject to change.
	National Statistics on persons held in detention solely under Immigration Act powers on a snapshot basis are published quarterly in the Control of Immigration: Quarterly Statistical Summary, United Kingdom bulletins. These are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html.
	Tables 8a and 8b of the Second Quarter 2009 Summary includes, from January 2009, the number of people entering detention.
	The UK Border Agency seeks to minimise movements within the detention estate in the interests of providing a settled regime and the efficient use of escorting resources. Movement of detainees around the estate is required for operational reasons, most often to:
	Position detainees close to airports prior to removal
	Position detainees for court appearances
	Position detainees for hospital appointments
	Position detainees for embassy/documentation interviews
	To facilitate the movement of detainees to more secure locations for security/behavioural reasons.
	Ensure that bed space capacity in all 11 immigration removal centres are fully utilised.

Foreign Workers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects of numerical limits on temporary migration.

Phil Woolas: The Government's view is that a numerical limit, or 'cap', on temporary migration is not the most effective way of managing migration. Rather, our view is that the points based system is the best and most robust way of controlling the numbers of people coming to the UK from outside Europe without preventing the admission of migrants with specific skills that the UK economy needs.
	We have already demonstrated the system's flexibility through putting a stop to low skilled labour entering the UK from outside Europe by suspending Tier three, as well as well as tightening up labour market testing requirements for Tier 2.

Hacking

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what co-operation is taking place with other governments to facilitate best practice in countering hacking of computer systems; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: The Government take attacks on computer systems very seriously, and recognise that the problem is an international one. We work bilaterally and through multi-lateral institutions to ensure that there is an agreed international approach to tackling this crime.
	We are working with the Council of Europe to ratify the Cybercrime Convention, as well as with the European Union and the G8. Law enforcement agencies such as the Serious Organised Crime Agency work closely with their international counterparts to tackle cross-border cyber crime.

Internet: Children

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to enable children to use the internet in a safe manner.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 15 December 2009
	The Government launched the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) in September 2008, to bring together Government, industry, charities, law enforcement and others to collectively work to help children stay safe online.
	We have now launched the UKCCIS strategy, Click Clever Click Safe, which sets out what is being done to keep children safe online. This is the first strategy of this kind produced anywhere in the world, and was launched alongside our online version of the Green Cross Code: Zip it, Block it, Flag it. We want to see the digital code become as familiar as Stop, Look, Listen. We believe that this work, across a number of sectors, will help children to stay safe online.

Internet: Children

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to educate children on best practices on internet usage.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 15 December 2009
	The Home Office and the Department for Children, Schools, and Families jointly chair the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS). One of the recommendations of the Byron Review was that a one stop shop for internet safety information for children should be created. UKCCIS has agreed that the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) should act as this one stop shop, building on the success of its Think U Know website.
	The Think U Know website provides practical safety information for children in relevant and easy-to-understand ways, with different sections for different age groups. This information will help children to understand the internet, the risks that they might face, and how to protect themselves. The site also provides a direct link to CEOP for children who feel threatened online to report the threat through CEOP's Report Abuse button.

Internet: Children

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to educate parents on best practices on the internet in order to protect their children.

Alan Campbell: holding answer 15 December 2009
	The Government created the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) in 2006 to help protect children online. As part of their remit, CEOP provide safety information to parents, carers and teachers.
	This is set out in the Think U Know website, which provides practical safety information for adults to allow them to keep children safe online. This information will help adults to keep themselves safe, and to help children to understand the internet, the risks that they might face, and how to protect themselves. The site also provides a direct link to CEOP for children who feel threatened online to report the threat through CEOP's Report Abuse button.
	When we created CEOP, we recognised the need to develop a law enforcement capability to fight the sexual abuse of children in the online environment, and to provide a national body to act as the national centre for this crime.
	Since its inception, CEOP has been a remarkable success. It has rescued over 300 children, and has led to the arrest of a significant number of people seeking to harm children. It has also developed the leading UK child internet safety website, Think U Know, which provides practical safety information for adults to allow them to keep children safe online. This information will help adults to keep themselves safe, and to help children to understand the internet, the risks that they might face, and how to protect themselves.
	With this record of success, I believe that the time is right to give CEOP a legal identity of its own. I am therefore announcing today that we will strengthen CEOP's role in protecting children by granting it NDPB status. This will allow CEOP to respond quickly and effectively to emerging online threats and to take on additional work relating to the protection of children at a national level.

Police

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policy is in force in the Metropolitan Police in respect of facial piercing for police officers; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: This is a matter for the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
	Home Office Circular 54/2003 outlines guidance for recruitment process checks for police officers which includes guidance on piercings. A copy of the circular is available at the following address:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/publications/home-office-circulars/circulars-2003/054-2003/620912?view=Binary
	Police recruitment guidance for England and Wales police forces stipulates that candidates with facial piercings may be eligible for appointment. The nature, location, prominence and appearance of any facial piercing needs to be considered against the overall requirements of the role and with due consideration to the health and safety of the officer and members of the public.
	It is for force managers to consider whether the acquisition of a facial piercing by a serving officer may constitute a breach of the Code of Professional Standards for police officers or constitute a risk to the health and safety of the officer. Each case is considered on its merits by the police force concerned.

Police: Pay

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials were eligible for performance bonuses and special bonuses in the Independent Police Complaints Commission by civil service band in each of the last three years; how many people received each type of bonus; what the average payment was for each type of bonus; and what the maximum payment was for each type of bonus.

David Hanson: The Home Office does not hold this information. These are matters for the IPCC and they will write directly to the hon. Member.

Repatriation

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what countries foreign nationals subject to the Facilitated Returns Scheme have been repatriated.

Phil Woolas: The UK Border Agency does not publish a breakdown by nationality of foreign nationals removed under the Facilitated Returns Scheme.
	The Home Office publishes information on the individuals removed or departed voluntarily from the UK on a quarterly and annual basis, which are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration-asylum-stats.html

Work Permits

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which academic qualifications qualify work visa applicants for additional points under the points-based system.

Phil Woolas: The points based system consolidates approximately 80 immigration routes into a five tier system.
	Academic qualifications score points only in certain categories of tiers one and two. The points value of the relevant academic qualifications are available at:
	www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/applicationsforms/pbs/tier1poststudyworkguidance1.pdf
	
		
			  Qualification  Points 
			  Qualification Attributes for tier one (general) migrants:  
			 Bachelor's degree 30 
			 Master's degree 35 
			 PhD 50 
			   
			  Attributes for tier one (post-study work) migrants:  
			 The applicant has been awarded: (mandatory)  
			 (a) a UK recognised bachelor or postgraduate degree, or  
			 (b) a UK postgraduate certificate in education or Professional Graduate Diploma of Education, or  
			 (c) a Higher National Diploma ('HND') from a Scottish institution. 20 
			   
			 (a) The applicant studied for his award at a UK institution that is a UK recognised or listed body, or which holds a sponsor licence under tier four of the points based system, or  
			 (b) If the applicant is claiming points for having been awarded a Higher National Diploma from a Scottish Institution, he studied for that diploma at a Scottish publicly funded institution of further or higher education, or a Scottish bona fide private education institution which maintains satisfactory records of enrolment and attendance. 20 
			   
			 The applicant's periods of UK study and/or research towards his eligible award were undertaken whilst he had entry clearance, leave to enter or leave to remain in the UK that was not subject to a restriction preventing him from undertaking a course of study and/or research. 20 
			 The applicant made the application for entry clearance or leave to remain as a tier one (post-study work) migrant within 12 months of obtaining the relevant qualification. 15 
			 The applicant is applying for leave to remain and has, or was last granted, leave as a participant in the International Graduates Scheme (or its predecessor, the Science and Engineering Graduates Scheme) or as a participant in the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland scheme. 75 
			   
			  Qualification attributes for tier two (general) migrants and tier two (intra-company transfer) migrants:  
			 PhD or above 15 
			 Master's or Bachelor's degree or above 10 
			 GCE A-level or equivalent or above 5 
			 None, or below GCE A-level 0

Written Questions: Government Responses

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to respond to Question 304490, on visa requirements, tabled on 1 December 2009.

Phil Woolas: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 15 December 2009,  Official Report, column 1111W.